Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu and his government to heed the demands of protesters, urging them to come down from their “high horses” and listen to the people’s voices. In a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, Atiku commended the Nigerian youths participating in the #Hunger protests for their largely peaceful conduct as the nationwide protest began on Thursday.
Atiku stated, “To the government, I admonish you to heed the voices of the people and come down from your high horses. It is time to demonstrate a sincere commitment to addressing the demands of the protesters. The nation cannot afford further days of unrest; let this be the moment where leadership listens and acts with integrity and urgency.”
He condemned the actions of miscreants involved in looting public and private property and criticized the police for the killing of innocent citizens. He noted, “The commencement of public protests across the country yesterday is noteworthy. These demonstrations have opened a vital channel for the public to express disapproval of government policies, furthering the essential conversation about good governance in our nation.”
Atiku praised the protesters for their peaceful stance and urged more Nigerians to show solidarity and support for the #EndBadGovernance peaceful protest. He emphasized, “This is a pivotal moment for our collective voice to be heard, and it must be done with dignity and respect for the law.”
He also called on the police to manage the protests more professionally, stating, “The needless killing of innocent citizens by security agencies is unacceptable. The police must refrain from the molestation of journalists who are merely reporting the protest. It is imperative that security agencies exercise restraint while enforcing law and order.”
Atiku encouraged security agencies to identify and isolate the minority elements resorting to violence and looting, ensuring that the actions of a few do not tarnish the majority of peaceful protesters.
