In a recent statement on X, Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria, emphatically defended the rights of Nigerian citizens to protest, emphasizing that these rights are enshrined in the country’s constitution.
Abubakar highlighted Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as altered), which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and association, affirming that these rights have been upheld by the courts.
Abubakar criticized the government’s attempts to undermine planned protests by attributing them to purported instigators. He described these actions as futile, noting that widespread dissatisfaction with the current administration cuts across all segments of the population, including supporters of President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to Abubakar, the nation’s citizens are grappling with hunger, anger, and a sense of hopelessness, which he attributes to what he described as the government’s incompetence and lack of direction.
Highlighting the irony in the current situation, Abubakar pointed out that many of those now seeking to suppress protests had themselves led similar actions in 2012.
He called on the government to uphold its responsibility to provide a safe and secure environment for citizens to exercise their constitutional rights to peaceful protest.
Abubakar warned that any attempt to suppress these rights would not only be unconstitutional but would also constitute a direct affront to Nigeria’s democracy.
“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.”