Excerpt: The ADC campaign council describes the police action as unconstitutional, alleging violations of citizens’ rights to peaceful assembly and expression.
The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC), has condemned the Kano State Police Command’s disruption of a rally, agitating that President Bola Tinubu must go.
The ADC campaign council said the “Tinubu Must Go” rally at The Avenue Event Center, Kano, not only condemned the Police action, it described the action as shameful, unconstitutional and a disturbing descent into authoritarianism.
In a statement issued by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the council accused the police of violating Nigerians’ fundamental 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 when police operatives barricaded The Avenue Event Center and allegedly intimidated participants.
Despite the police action, the council said the youths demonstrated courage and determination by refusing to be silenced and insisting on making their voices heard.
The ADC-PCC expressed particular outrage over the reported arrest of the owner of The Avenue Event Center for allegedly allowing the facility to be used for the gathering, describing the development as another troubling indication of the APC-led government’s intolerance of dissent.
It, therefore, questioned why a business owner should face arrest for making a facility available for a peaceful gathering.
“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 described as ironic a situation in which 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.
Chuks Okocha
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