Criticizing the Federal Government and its agencies, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned their attempts to thwart the planned August 1 protest across the country.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate in the last election highlighted the irony that those who protested against former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration in 2012 are now trying to suppress others’ rights to protest.
Daily Trust reports that states across the federation are unsettled by plans from some youths to begin a 10-day nationwide hunger and hardship protest, aiming to draw attention from federal and state governments to the worsening plight of citizens. According to the organizers, “this hunger is too much.”
In a post on his verified Facebook page on Tuesday, Atiku emphasized that it is the constitutional right of citizens to protest. He urged the government to ensure a safe and secure environment for citizens to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed rights to peaceful protest.
“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,” Atiku stated.
“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,” he added.
