Atiku Abubakar, the former Vice President and PDP Presidential Candidate, has reacted to the planned nationwide protests against hunger and widespread hardship, set to begin on August 1.
News About Nigeria reports that he criticised the government’s attempts to suppress the protests, labelling it a futile effort.
Atiku stated that the government’s incompetence and cluelessness have led to widespread suffering, affecting not only citizens but also supporters of the ruling party.
Atiku stressed the constitutional right to protest, citing Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees peaceful assembly and association.
He noted the irony of those who previously led protests in 2012 now attempting to stifle the same rights.
Atiku urged the government to provide a safe environment for citizens to exercise their rights to peaceful protest, warning that suppressing these rights is unconstitutional and a threat to democracy.
He stressed that the government’s attempts to suppress protests only serve to further highlight its own shortcomings.
The statement reads in full “For the avoidance of doubt, the rights of citizens to protest are ENSHRINED in the Nigerian Constitution and AFFIRMED by our courts. Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as altered) unequivocally guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and association.
“Chasing shadows and contriving purported persons behind the planned protests is an exercise in futility when it is obvious that Nigerians, including supporters of Tinubu and the ruling APC, are caught up in the hunger, anger, and hopelessness brought about by the incompetence and cluelessness of this government.
“It is deeply ironic that those who now seek to stifle these rights were themselves leading protests in 2012. A responsible government must ensure a SAFE and SECURE environment for citizens to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed rights to PEACEFUL PROTEST. Any attempt to suppress these rights is not only unconstitutional but a direct affront to our democracy. -AA”
