The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned, in strong terms, the violent clampdown by those it called the agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Muhammadu Buhari on Nigerians who peacefully protested on Saturday.
In a statement issued on Saturday by Kola Ologbondiyan, its national Publicity Secretary, the party described “the brutal clampdown” on citizens on Democracy Day as “a sacrilegious demonstration of APC’s aversion to democracy as well as its barefaced repugnance towards Nigerians, particularly in their demands for their rights.”
“It is awkward that the APC and President Buhari, who were allowed their freedom when they protested in 2014, would turn around to subject Nigerians to actions of inhumanity, including the use of firearms against the people, as being witnessed today.
“It is instructive to note that President Buhari, in his supposed Democracy Day address, failed to rein in his security operatives, despite the cautions by the PDP. This places the culpability for whatever befalls Nigerians, in the face of the violent attacks by security agencies, on the APC as well as the President’s desk.”
The main opposition party said it was not surprised that in his over 20 minutes speech, President Buhari never made any commitment towards upholding the democratic tenets of free speech, freedom of expression, freedom of association and right to peaceful protest, as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and our statutes, from which he, as APC candidate, drew huge benefit in 2014.
Also, human rights activist and constitutional lawyer, Mr Femi Falana has condemned security agents for their highhanded treatment of Nigerians who gathered peacefully at different locations across the country to register their displeasure at the situation of the country.
Amnesty International had on Friday called on the federal government to respect the rights of every Nigerian who will be coming out to protest on Saturday, saying that “protest is not a crime and that the law enforcement agencies have a duty to facilitate people’s fundamental right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to protect protesters.”
While lending his voice to the democratic calls during the Sunrise daily programme on Channels television on Saturday, Falana said the police acted out of democratic stipulations in the constitution.
The police, as posited by the constitution, shall provide security for the protesters, instead of harassing, tear gassing and attacking them. Since the Lagos State Police Command was aware that some people are going to protest today (Saturday), what should be done is for the police to guide them and ensure that the peaceful protest is not hijacked by criminal elements.
“But to unleash teargas canisters on peaceful demonstrators is no longer permissible under the law,” he said.
Also, I need to make it clear to the police that this should be the last time that the rights of Nigerians to protest peacefully will be so violated because I recall, very importantly, that in May 2003, General Muhammadu Buhari now President Buhari and the global leaders of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) were shown violently at their peaceful rally in Kano stadium and the party decided to go to court in the case of All Nigerians Peoples’ Party (ANPP) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
We won the case at the Federal High Court and High Court of Appeal, which now culminates in the enactment and inclusion of Section 83 sub-sections 4 in the Police Act to the effect that during protest, the police shall provide security for the protesters once it is a peaceful rally,” he said.
