Nigeria’s former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has expressed his support for the planned nationwide protest against hardship in Nigeria.
Atiku, a former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a statement posted on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday reminded President Bola Tinubu’s government that peaceful protests are a fundamental and constitutional right of Nigerians as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He berated President Tinubu’s government for accusing some opposition politicians and threatening to crack down on protests, saying that chasing shadows and contriving purported persons behind the planned protests is an exercise in futility.
According to him, it is obvious that Nigerians, including supporters of Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are caught up in the hunger, anger, and hopelessness brought by Tinubu’s government.
Atiku said, “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.”
