The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has condemned the disruption of the peaceful “Tinubu Must Go” rally in Kano by the Kano State Police Command, describing the action as shameful, unconstitutional and a descent into authoritarianism.
In a statement on Sunday by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the council said the police violated Nigerians’ rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression as guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
The rally, led by Barrister Abba Hikima and organised by concerned youths, was reportedly disrupted after police operatives barricaded The Avenue Event Center, venue of the gathering, and allegedly intimidated participants.
Despite the barricade, the youths insisted on holding the rally, a move the ADC-PCC said showed courage and determination not to be silenced.
The council also condemned the reported arrest of the owner of The Avenue Event Center for allegedly allowing his facility to be used for the event, describing it as evidence of intolerance for dissent by the APC-led government.
“This is not democracy. This is tyranny. For how long will the APC continue to use the police to suppress dissenting voices?” Ologbondiyan queried.
He said it was ironic that a government that claims to uphold democratic values appears threatened by citizens exercising their constitutional rights.
“The message from Kano is loud and clear: Nigerians are tired, hungry and angry. You can stop a rally and arrest a venue owner, but you cannot arrest hunger in the land. You cannot barricade the anger and frustration of over 200 million people,” he said.
Ologbondiyan said the government’s priorities were misplaced, insisting that the same determination displayed in disrupting the rally should instead be directed towards tackling insecurity, banditry and the crushing cost of living.
“If the APC government had deployed the same energy it used to stop a peaceful rally at The Avenue Event Center to tackle insecurity, banditry and the excruciating cost of living, Nigeria would be a safer and more prosperous nation,” he added.
The council called on the Inspector-General of Police and the Kano State Police Command to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of the event centre owner, if still in custody, and to desist from actions capable of turning the police into an instrument of political oppression.
It also urged civil society organisations, human rights groups and the international community to pay close attention to what it described as a dangerous erosion of democratic freedoms in Nigeria.
“The right to protest is not a privilege granted by the police or the APC; it is a right guaranteed by the Constitution. No amount of intimidation will stop Nigerians from demanding change.”