Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, has warned against any plan to suppress Nigerians from protesting against hunger.
Nigerians have been warming up to hit the street on August 1 to protest against hunger and bad governance.
The presidency alleged that the planned protest was being sponsored by supporters of the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi.
The presidency also claimed without offering any evidence that the plan was to topple the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
But Atiku, in a statement posted on his X handle, advised the government to stop chasing shadows.
He said: “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.”
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