Onyinye-Gandhi Chukwunyere: Tinubu Profited From Protests in 2012, Now Criminalizes Them

Barrister Onyinye-Gandhi Chukwunyere, an activist and spokesperson for the African Action Congress (AAC), has voiced criticism of the Nigerian government’s handling of protests. He criticized the present administration for what he described as a harsh approach to legitimate protests in an interview with The Independent.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>

When questioned about how the government is responding to calls for good governance, Chukwunyere said, “The response of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government to the legitimate protests by the Nigerian people against its terrible policies is very concerning.”

He underlined that every Nigerian has the constitutional right to demonstrate and voice divergent opinions, and he called on the government to treat the people’s grievances with respect and gravity.

Chukwunyere compared the APC’s previous position with its current one. He emphasized that members of his administration, including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, had previously actively used their right to protest.

“Tinubu and other elements in his government had previously benefited from the constitutionally protected right to protest. He and Buhari led massive protests in 2012 against the Jonathan government, and rightfully so,” he said.

According to the AAC spokesperson, the way the APC treats protests as crimes is a betrayal of the people. He cautioned that intimidating citizens and calling dissent treasonous is a dangerous precedent.

“To now criminalize the right to protest and deem every protest an attempt to oust his government is disingenuous and, quite frankly, a betrayal of the people. That is not how a free society operates,” Chukwunyere stated.

He referred to the government’s actions as fascist and voiced his fear that such tactics would backfire. “It is a cowardly resort to fascist methods, and it is bound to consume those who may temporarily find it a false sense of security,” he added.

Chukwunyere’s comments encourage thinking about how crucial it is to protect democratic rights, particularly the ability to peacefully protest and hold governments responsible.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>