From CUPP
For Immediate Release
15th October 2020
CUPP rejects BAN on protest and use of Armed thugs to attack protesters, describes move as provocative, primitive, barbaric, autocratic, illegal and an act capable of igniting more confusion and clear signs government is not ready to end brutality against citizens.
… Opposition warns APC govt to respect the constitutional rights of patriotic young Nigerians to protest and not hide under the cover of Covid-19 regulations that they have never obeyed to attack heroic protesters.
… Opposition advises Army Chief of Staff not to drag Nigeria Army into further politics and deploying soldiers against innocent civilians.
… Urges Army Chief to show force against Bokoharam and bandits that have taken over parts of the country including Buhari’s village and not innocent protesters.
… Urges government to focus on ending brutality of security forces and insecurity and corruption ridden administration as key to ending protest
… Your clampdown and use of armed thugs on protesters will backfire, learn from the mistakes that consumed brutal regimes of Keita of Mali, Gaddafi of Libya, Mubarak of Egypt, Idi Amin of Uganda etc who deployed armed forces against Innocent Protesters.
The Nigerian Opposition Coalition CUPP has rejected the Ban on protests announced today by the APC government/Buhari appointed Minister of the Federal Capital Territory illegally banning legitimate and peaceful protest by Nigerians expressing their right to air their views and anger over brutal actions of an incompetent and brutal regime being visited on the people with support of the regimes brutal security forces.
It must be stated that instead of addressing the genuine issues of the protesters, agents of the Federal Government, its agencies, allies and supporters have resorted to hiring armed thugs to attack the peaceful protesters. This act is not only provocative and barbaric, it is also illegal, autocratic, primitive and capable of igniting more confusion and clear signs government is not ready to end brutality against citizens.
The opposition hereby warns the ruling APC,their armed groups and security forces to respect the constitutional rights of the patriotic young Nigerians to protest and not hide under the cover of Covid-19 regulations which government officials have not obeyed themselves as a reason to ban protests.
That statement from the Nigerian Army threatening peaceful Nigerians is a joke taken too far. The protests are wholly a civil action and does not in any way concern the Army. Or is a day like this why the President has refused to sack the Service Chiefs? Nigerians are in shock and the entire world is amazed that we could degenerate so quickly to such pre civilization era.
CUPP urges the Federal Government to focus on ending brutality of security forces and insecurity worsened by a corruption ridden administration. Good students of history will tell this government that such violent suppression which it plans against innocent peaceful citizens has never worked and will not work. It will only backfire.
Handlers of the President are hereby advised to continue telling the President until he hears that addressing the issues is the only way out and not this plot to deploy primitive force and avoidable loss of lives.
Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere
Opposition Coalition CUPP Spokesperson