Violent Protests: Tinubu Calls On Atiku To Rally Behind Govt

Atiku Abubakar, former Nigerian Vice President has been advised to support the federal government in its efforts to stop the ongoing hunger protest in the country.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu gave the advise in a statement signed by his Special adviser on Media and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Tuesday. The statement was posted on Onanuga’s verified X handle.

The magazine reported that protests have continued for seven days across the country  among Nigerians who are demanding a solution to the current economic hardship in the country.

The protests tagged #endbadgovernance has turned violence in some northern states, as security agencies vow to use force to quell the riots.

Recall that Abubakar, the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has warned security agencies against using excessive force to stop the protesters, saying the military and other security personnel who kill protesters will be made to account for their actions for comitting crime against humanity.

Reacting to Atiku’s remark, President Tinubu said the former vice president should support him to ensure that the country is not hijacked by some elements who have hijacked the protest.

According to the statement, Atiku should conduct himself as a statesman, and stop being driven by personal gains in the interest of the country.

Below the statement:

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar this evening tweeted the absurd, warning security agencies against using lethal force against looters and arsonists who masqueraded as protesters. As a statesman, his warning ought to have been issued to the looting mob in Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, Jigawa states, who hijacked what was advertised by organisers as a peaceful protest.

Our security forces have remained professional and even-handed and observed every restraint in the face of extreme provocation by the rioters. We are surprised that Alhaji Atiku is still relying on Section 40 of our constitution (as amended) to justify a protest that is now clearly a riot, a rampage in some parts of the country. Section 45 of the constitution says the right of assembly and freedom of expression are not absolute rights. They can be abridged and fettered in the interest of public peace, safety, law, and order. The Service Chiefs reiterated the rights of Nigerians to protest and gather freely. They, however, reinforced their constitutional duty today when they said they can not sit by idly and watch hoodlums destroy the country and its democracy.

The Service Chiefs, officers, and men of our security outfits should be commended for their patriotic duty to our country.

As a supporter and enabler of the destructive ‘protests,’ Alhaji Atiku wants the sinister protests to continue despite the street’s red signals. A tweet that condones the destruction of private and public property and citizens’ investments is unexpected from a former vice president of Nigeria.

Alhaji Atiku ought to have risen above the sentiment he expressed and put the interest of our country’s stability ahead of whatever advantages he hoped to reap from the insurrection on our streets.

We encourage Alhaji Atiku to adopt a more nationalistic approach that transcends personal interests and focuses on the greater good of our nation. He should take a cue from opposition figures in the United Kingdom who have rallied behind the government to condemn the ongoing riots in the UK, calling for the arrest and prosecution of those behind the wanton destruction of public and private assets. Such a nationalistic temperament, as displayed by opposition figures such as Rishi Sunak, the immediate past Prime Minister of the UK, is expected of Alhaji Atiku.

If Alhaji Atiku had followed this approach, he would have given hope for a united front against the destructive protests.

Bayo Onanuga

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy

August 6, 2024