Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, has berated presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, describing him as the servant of a “clueless president,” for calling for sanctions against lawyer Aloy Ejimokor over the #FreeNnamdiKanu protest.

This followed Mr Onanuga’s criticism of Mr Ejimakor, counsel to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, who joined Monday’s protest demanding his client’s release.

Mr Onanuga had said the lawyer joined forces with Omoyele Sowore, an activist, in the protests in Abuja instead of focusing on a strong case for his client, who has been in detention. He also claimed Mr “Ejimakor’s action questions his adherence to professional ethics.”

However, Mr Ibe slammed Mr Onanuga, noting that the rules guiding professional conduct for legal practitioners do not prohibit lawyers from joining peaceful protests to demand the release of their clients.

“Everything must not necessarily be about politics. But that should not be surprising considering that you serve an incompetent and clueless president who has abandoned governance for politics,” Mr Ibe wrote on his X, formerly Twitter.

Citing section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, he said, “Nigeria’s Rules of Professional Conduct for Legal Practitioners (2007) does not contain anything that prohibits lawyers from joining peaceful protests related to their clients.”

He also accused Mr Onanuga of blind loyalty and defending the failures of the ruling All Progressives Congress government led by President Tinubu.

Mr Abubakar’s aide insisted that Mr Tinubu’s administration has brought hunger and untold hardship on Nigerians through its economic reforms.

“By the way, how does your politically motivated call for the sanction of @AloyEjimakor affect the prices of rice, beans, yams, milk, among others, and indeed the material well-being of the average Nigerian?” he said.

The development came amid reports of a crackdown by heavily armed security operatives on peaceful protesters demanding Mr Kanu’s release in Abuja on Monday.

The attack on demonstrators has drawn widespread condemnation from Nigerians, as well as local and international rights organisations.