The Chairman of Amnesty International in Nigeria, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, has issued a stark warning against threatening protesters, arguing that such actions do not bode well for democracy and could undermine President Bola Tinubu’s legacy.
As the “End Bad Governance in Nigeria” movement gains traction on social media, several top government officials have advised against the planned demonstrations, fearing they could be hijacked by hoodlums.
These officials have urged citizens to place their faith in the current administration, emphasizing the President’s commitment to addressing their welfare and concerns.
Rafsanjani, however, commended the security agencies for their recent democratic conduct.
“For anybody to come and say what you are doing is illegal or we will deal with you when you do that, you are actually undermining the President who so much believes in the democratic tenets,” he said on Channels Television’s ‘Dateline Abuja’, which aired on Saturday.
He expressed appreciation for the security agencies’ realization that initial threats to brutally deal with peaceful protesters were counterproductive.
“They were making democratic reversal as the President himself is someone who believes in democracy and democracy gives opportunity for people to express themselves lawfully, peacefully,” Rafsanjani added.
Violence Not a Solution
The protest, scheduled from August 1 to August 10, will be held across all 36 states and the nation’s capital. Security agencies have been proactive, meeting with President Tinubu and rallying traditional rulers, governors, and religious and opinion leaders to maintain peace.
The protesters are determined to express their grievances over the high cost of living, poverty, and worsening inflation figures among other economic challenges. Security agencies are concerned that the protests might turn violent, as seen during the #EndSARS movement in October 2020.
Rafsanjani emphasized that violence is never a solution and called on the government and security agencies to ensure the protests are protected to prevent hoodlums from taking advantage of the situation.
“Both myself as an individual and the organizations that I represent do not believe in any violence because violence is not a solution. However, we insist and believe that the government has the duty to protect the protest itself because it is part of the democratic tenet,” he said.
He highlighted President Tinubu’s understanding of the value and importance of protests, given his own history of participating in demonstrations.
“The President knows very well as a democrat, as somebody who participated in previous protests, he knows the value and importance,” Rafsanjani stated.
He also warned against attempts by hired individuals to add a religious connotation to the protests, noting that both the international community and Nigerians are closely watching these developments.