The 2023 Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has spoken out in defence of the planned nationwide protests against hunger and widespread hardship in the country, scheduled to begin on August 1.
In a statement he released Tuesday, Atiku blasted the government of President Bola Tinubu for attempting to suppress the protesters, saying it was an exercise in futility.
He noted that Nigerians, including supporters of Tinubu and the ruling APC, are affected by the hunger, anger, and hopelessness caused by the government’s incompetence and cluelessness.
He warned that any attempt to suppress these rights is not only unconstitutional but a direct affront to democracy.
Atiku’s statement reads, “For the avoidance of doubt, the rights of citizens to protest ar 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.
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“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.”
