- The Presidency responded to Atiku Abubakar, urging him to direct his warnings about the #EndBadGovernance protests at looters, not service chiefs
- Bayo Onanuga criticized Atiku for allegedly supporting destructive protests and emphasized the need for accountability among those damaging public properties
The Presidency has responded to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, stating that his warnings regarding the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests should be directed at looters of private and public properties rather than service chiefs.
Atiku, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate in the last election, had cautioned the service chiefs and military commanders, emphasizing that those authorizing the use of lethal force against peaceful civilian protesters would be held accountable for crimes against humanity. He highlighted the government’s and security agencies’ duty to ensure a safe environment for individuals exercising their right to peaceful protest. He noted that service chiefs could be called to account even after retirement.
In a swift reaction, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, commended the service chiefs and security forces for their patriotic duty. Onanuga criticized Atiku for allegedly supporting the destructive protests and condoning the destruction of properties.
Onanuga stated, “As a supporter and enabler of the destructive ‘protests,’ Alhaji Atiku wants the sinister protest to continue despite the street’s red signals. A tweet that condones the destruction of private and public property and citizens’ investments is unbecoming of a former vice president of Nigeria.
“Atiku ought to have risen above the sentiment he expressed and put the interest of our country’s stability ahead of whatever advantages he hoped to reap from the insurrection on our streets.
“We encourage Alhaji Atiku to borrow a leaf from opposition figures in the United Kingdom who have rallied behind the government to condemn the ongoing riots in the UK, calling for the arrest and prosecution of those behind the wanton destruction of public and private assets. Such nationalistic temperament as displayed by opposition figures like Rishi Sunak, the immediate-past Prime Minister of the UK, is expected of Alhaji Atiku.”
The Presidential aide also noted that Atiku “tweeted the absurd: he warned security agencies against using lethal force against looters and arsonists who masqueraded as protesters. As a statesman, his warning ought to be to the looting mob in Kaduna, Kano, Plateau, Jigawa states, who hijacked what was advertised by organizers as a peaceful protest.
“Our security forces have remained professional and even-handed and observed every restraint in the face of extreme provocation by the rioters. We are surprised that Alhaji Atiku is still relying on Section 40 of our constitution (as amended) to justify a protest that is now clearly a riot, a rampage in some parts of the country.“