By Onyeche Igwe
Hours after Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun issued guidelines for the planned nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest scheduled for August 1, opposition parties have kicked against the conditions, saying they are against Nigeria’s constitution.
They insisted that the right to protest is recognised as a fundamental human right in Nigeria and is protected by the constitution.
Egbetokun had in response to requests to protest across the country set guidelines for all organisers and groups planning to participate.
He specifically directed them to submit their details, proposed routes, and assembly points to the Commissioners of Police in their respective states.
The IG also said commissioners of police in states where protests would be held must be provided with details of measures put in place to prevent the demonstration from being hijacked by criminal elements.
The police chief had earlier raised concerns about the legitimacy of the gathering, adding that arrangements had been made to arrest suspected hoodlums disguising as protesters.
The Department of State Services, on the other hand, claimed it uncovered a plan by some criminal elements to hijack the protest and cause unrest in the country.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the DSS, through its spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, described the motive behind the planned protest as political.
The Nigerian Defence Headquarters also warned intending protesters against any form of violence, stating that the right to protest did not include unleashing terror.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, who conveyed the message in Abuja, raised concerns that the planned nationwide protest could escalate into chaos based on the military’s analysis and intelligence.
Speaking exclusively with journalists, the National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Ladipo Johnson, said going after protesters was a violation of their constitutional right. He said instead of clamping down on those legitimately exercising their civic rights, efforts should be made to protect them.
Johnson said, “I don’t think there is a need to clamp down on protesters. Nigerians have a right to exercise their constitutional right to protest. They should not be harassed in any way. On the other hand, protesters must do their best to ensure that the protest is not hijacked either by hoodlums or by people sent. Hoodlums are one thing, people sent by unscrupulous politicians to cause friction and mayhem are another. These people should be resisted. The police also must secure the protesters in a peaceful atmosphere and ensure they are not infiltrated by people who want to cause chaos and damage properties. That is what they should be doing, not threatening or scaring people.”
Also, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said it was unfortunate that the presidency would be planning to use the security apparatus to intimidate its citizens.
He said, “What you see the police and the DSS doing is a prepared script. It is quite unfortunate. The attempt by the government to suppress the voices of dissent is not something we are surprised about because they had demonstrated this long before. They made it known before coming into power that they wouldn’t entertain opposition. So, what they first did was to take some persons they believed were going to have a voice and make them part of their team. Now, even after winning the election, they have not stopped. It is clear that the intention of this government is to inflict maximum pain and injury on Nigerians and suppress voices of dissent, who will probably raise objections to their approach. They have inflicted untold hardship on Nigerians. They have also gone further to ensure that fear and intimidation is the only way they would rule this country.”
Similarly, the opposition Labour Party has advised the presidency and security agents to tread carefully, warning that any threat to clamp down on the people may prove counterproductive.
In an exclusive with journalists, the National Publicity Secretary of LP, Obiorah Ifoh, said the country should borrow a leaf from what transpired in neighbouring Kenya, and the government’s response to the people.
He said, “As a party, we are not going to support any violent protest. We are not speaking for them (protesters). But a hungry man is an angry man. These people can’t feed, transport freely, can’t even afford to send children to school and receive pittance as wages. Yet, you want them not to talk? I think that is undemocratic. We saw what happened in Kenya a few weeks ago, where people spoke their minds peacefully and the Kenyan government did the right thing. Nobody is asking for violence. Everybody that goes into violent protests should be made to pay the price. But we are insisting on allowing Nigerians to speak up their minds through peaceful means.”
Yunusa Tanko, the campaign spokesman for LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on his part, said Nigerians deserved better treatment. The activist emphasized that it would be unfair to threaten people planning to demonstrate with arrest as protest is one of the rights provided for in a democratic setting.
The Christian Association of Nigeria in the 19 Northern states, including Abuja, says the planned nationwide hunger protests are an indication that things have gone really bad in the country. CAN insisted that Nigerians have been “suffering and smiling” for too long and the government showed no concern.
In a statement through its Secretary, Elder Sunday Oibe, in Kaduna on Saturday, the body expressed concern over the planned nationwide protest and urged the President to take concrete steps to address the economic hardship and insecurity plaguing the country. It also admonished Nigerian politicians to be mindful of their actions and inactions.
CAN recalled the ‘Occupy Nigeria’ protest held in 2012, led by President Tinubu, meant to force former President Goodluck Jonathan to retrace his steps over the removal of the petrol subsidy during his administration, and noted that those in government must acknowledge the fact that in a democracy, citizens had the right to embark on peaceful protests over issues affecting their welfare. “Rather than trying to induce and influence some religious and traditional leaders to stop the protest, as it is being speculated in certain quarters, the government should apologise for its ineptitude and failure to address challenges threatening the very foundation of the country and improve the living condition of the people. Since the removal of the subsidy on petrol by President Bola Tinubu over a year ago, Nigerians have yet to enjoy its benefits; insecurity continues to remain undermined by the Nigerian state. We call for prayers for peace, unity, and stability in our country. Pray for God’s intervention in our country,” the Northern CAN stated.
Meanwhile, in a telephone interview with our correspondents, one of the organisers of the protest, Deji Adeyanju, said the IG was trying to rewrite the constitution with his directives.
The human rights activist maintained that Nigeria’s constitution conferred on citizens the right to protest.
He said, “When the constitution was conferring the right to protest on the citizens, did the constitution give conditions for protests? Is the IG trying to rewrite the constitution? Is he trying to donate rights to the citizens or what? He has no such powers. The constitution and other laws of the land do not give the IG the power to dictate how citizens should protest.”
Further speaking, Adeyanju accused security agencies of harassing organisers of the protest and freezing their accounts.
He revealed that some of them had been arrested in states like Kano, Sokoto, and Zamfara, only to be released after widespread condemnation and outcries.
The human rights activist noted that it was a tactic to intimidate them so as not to go ahead with the protest, adding that they remained resolute.
Speaking in the same vein, the Director of Mobilisation, ‘Take It Back Movement’, Damilare Adenola, emphasised that the organisers were not bound by the directives.
He said, “The constitution doesn’t mandate us to get the government’s approval for protests. With or without the minister or President’s approval, the protests will go on. We’re not bound by the dictates of the Inspector General of Police or anyone in government.
“The rule of law and our conscience are our guiding principles, and the Nigerian Constitution (1999 as amended) grants Nigerian citizens the right to peaceful assembly and peaceful demonstrations.”
Adenola alleged that aside from freezing the organisers’ accounts, social media influencers had been engaged to attack activists and those who indicated interest in the protest.
He added, “They’ve blocked the ‘Take It Back Movement’ bank account with UBA. We’ve been informed that they’re now paying social media influencers to discredit human rights activists and peaceful protesters.”
Also making his stance known on the IG directive, the Convener of the Revolution Now Movement, Mr Omoyele Sowore, on X.com, said the police could not dictate to citizens how to go about protests.
He, however, called on all security agencies to submit the names of their officers who would be deployed for the protest.
Sowore stated, “The #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria #DaysOfRage revolt is not subject to any conditions; the @PoliceNG cannot dictate to Nigerians how to organise themselves during a mass action of this magnitude. However, the IG of @Policeng is advised to submit the list of police officers that would be deployed to cover these direct actions to our lawyers so that we’d know who to hold accountable should anything go wrong; the same applies to the @OfficialDSSNG, @HQNigerianArmy, and any security agency(IRS) that may be deployed by the state or federal government of Nigeria.”
The presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party during the 2023 election, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, said shelving the planned protest would be in the interest of the country. The one-time former governor of Kano State, in a post on his X handle on Saturday, called on Nigerians to put the country’s interest first before any other consideration. The national leader of NNPP called on Nigerians to remove a non-performing government through the ballot rather than through a protest.
But the ruling All Progressives Congress sees the issue from another perspective.
The National Publicity Director of the APC, Bala Ibrahim, believed the response of the government was being misinterpreted.
Ibrahim stated that unless the organisers of the protest and the opposition had ulterior motives, they would appreciate that the President had even gone the extra mile to assure the citizens that he was working assiduously to address their concerns.
He said, “When you are devilish in your thinking or planning something cynical, you will believe everybody is thinking that way. There is no way a government that is doing everything with civility, and is always at the forefront for human rights, will clamp down on people fighting for their right.
“This is not a government that is brutish or brutal when it comes to lawful protests. The only thing is that a protest must be peaceful, lawful and done in a manner that is democratically accepted. Anything to the contrary will go against the law. A government that is law-abiding will not fold its arms and allow people trample on the law.
“Don’t forget that the President has appealed to the nation to shelve the demonstration, saying whatever their grievances are, it will be looked into with a view to resolving them. It is not a government that has promised to do miracles. No, it is one that seeks to ensure the sufferings of Nigerians are addressed.”
