Former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, has called for the immediate release of all protesters arrested in Monday’s #FreeNnamdiKanuNow demonstration in Abuja.
Speaking via a statement on Tuesday, Wabara condemned the action of some security operatives who fired teargas canisters at peaceful protesters.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to call the security operatives to order, describing the intimidation and arrest of peaceful protesters as “a serious dent on Nigeria’s global image.”
The elder statesman also frowned at the alleged manhandling of a journalist covering the protest whose camera was reportedly broken by some overzealous security operatives.
According to the former Senate President, the arrest of Kanu’s younger brother, Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and lawyer, Aloy Ejimakor; among others, will only aggravate the already tensed situation in the South East.
Senator Wabara who argued that “it is the fundamental right of citizens to hold peaceful protest”, said the police are required to provide protection for protesters, and not to clamp down on them.
Citing the ongoing ‘No King Protest’ involving about 7 million people in the United States of America, “where there are no incidents of molestation or brutality”, Senator Wabara challenged the Nigeria security operatives to learn from their US counterparts.
The former Senate President accused the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC-led, federal government which he said, “is a product of protests”, of using intimidation and brute force against dissenting voices.
He queried, Why is the APC that came to power through protests suddenly scared of protests ? Muzzling dissenting voices and that opposition is a prelude to dictatorship. This is certainly not the democracy we yearned for!”
“The scars of#EndSARS will always remain a sad memorial for the APC which exploited propaganda and protests to oust the PDP in 2015”, Wabara added.
Senator Wabara who is the Chairman Board of Trustees (BoT) of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regretted that “Nigeria under the watch of the APC, is fast sliding into dictatorship”.
He advised President Tinubu to, as a father of the nation, consider the growing appeals for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, “to reduce tension and restore peace in the South East region.”
According to him, if the President could pardon some convicted criminals and fraudsters, there is nothing wrong in extending similar gesture to Nnamdi Kanu.
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