Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has condemned President Bola Tinubu for allegedly trying to stifle Nigerians’ constitutional rights to protest.

The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party during the 2023 election expressed this in a statement shared on his X handle on Tuesday.

Mr Atiku reminded the Tinubu government that the rights of citizens to protest were enshrined in Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as altered), and affirmed by the courts, which “unequivocally guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and association.”

Mr Atiku’s position followed comments by the Minister of Information, Minister Mohammed Idris, who during a briefing to selected State House correspondents after a meeting with the President earlier, said the President was opposed to the EndBadGovernance nationwide protest.

“The issue of the planned protest, Mr President does not see any need for that. He’s asked them to shelve that plan. He’s asked them to await the government’s response to all their pleas,” Mr Idris said.

Also, operatives of the State Security Services arrested some youths declaring their readiness to participate in the protest and who posted on their social media handles, customised wears to be worn during the demonstration.

The former VP however advised the Mr Tinubu to stop “chasing shadows and contriving purported persons behind the planned protests,” which according to him, “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.”

He also expressed disappointment at Mr Tinubu and few other politicians, both in and out of his government who either sponsored or participated in the ‘Occupy Nigeria’ protest in 2012, against the then president, Goodluck Jonathan, but now kicking against next month’s protest, despite amid the hunger, poverty and economic hardship bedevilling the country.

Mr Atiku said, “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.’’