Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has stated that Nigeria must address the root causes of political instability to prevent a coup in the country.
Naijaonpoint reports that Falana, during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, said there is a need to address the economic crisis, poverty, illiteracy, and curb the insecurity of lives and property.
While condemning the practice of treating dissent as a crime, Falana emphasised the importance of freedom of expression.
He said, “If we want to have political stability in Nigeria, you must address the crisis of the economy, address poverty, tackle illiteracy, and curb insecurity of lives and property.
“You must show that the political space will not shrink as it is now. You have a shrinking of the political space, and that must stop. There must be freedom of expression.
“You cannot be charging people with all manner of offences for expressing their views about the affairs of their country.”
The human rights lawyer further urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), to widen democratic participation, stressing that many citizens are unhappy with current policies, and that democratic leaders in Africa often suppress the opposition.
The senior lawyer added that credible elections require a competitive opposition and said ruling parties in Africa often render opposition groups impotent through direct or indirect restrictions.
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