FORMER Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and the United Nations (UN) have divergent views on the planned protest against economic hardship in Nigeria.
Atiku urged the Federal Government to respect Nigerians’ constitutional rights to protest peacefully, while the UN Department of Safety and Security warned that the protests could be hijacked by groups with ulterior motives.
In a post on social media, Atiku criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration for attempting to suppress the protests, calling it an “exercise in futility.” He noted the irony of those in power now, who led protests in 2012, trying to stifle current protests.
Atiku emphasized that the right to peaceful assembly is enshrined in Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution and any attempt to suppress these rights was unconstitutional and undermines democracy.
However, the UN expressed concerns about the potential for violence in a threat assessment. It cited past protests in Nigeria that escalated into violence, such as those during the naira scarcity crisis earlier in 2023.
The assessment warned that the expected high turnout for the “10 days of rage” protest could lead to large-scale disruptions of economic and social activities and potential confrontations between government supporters and opponents from late July through August 10-15.
Eighteen-Eleven Media