Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has called on the Federal Government (FG) to heed the voice of Nigerians who have embarked on the #EndBadGovernance protest which started on Thursday.
Nigerians across different states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja are into the second day of the protest.
Atiku in a post shared on his X account on Friday beckoned on President Bola Tinubu to listen to the people as soon as possible.
“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,” Atiku said.
“The nation cannot afford further days of unrest; let this be the moment where leadership listens and acts with integrity and urgency.”
He stated that the commencement of public protests across the country on Thursday, August 1, 2024 is noteworthy.
According to him, these demonstrations have opened a vital channel for the public to express their disapproval of government policies, furthering the essential conversation about good governance in our nation.
“For the most part, protesters have conducted themselves with admirable peace and must be commended for their restraint and dedication,” Atiku added.
“However, in some isolated instances, there have been reports of violence, leading to regrettable clashes and brutalities by the police.
“I urge the protesters to maintain their peaceful stance and call on more Nigerians to show solidarity and support for the #EndBadGovernance peaceful protest.
“This is a pivotal moment for our collective voice to be heard, and it must be done with dignity and respect for the law.”
Atiku has also called on the police to engage more professionally in managing these protests because the needless killing of innocent citizens by security agencies is unacceptable.
He urged the police to refrain from the molestation of journalists who are merely reporting the protest as it is imperative that security agencies exercise restraint while enforcing law and order.
“Security agencies are encouraged to identify and isolate the minority elements who are resorting to violence and looting, ensuring that the actions of a few do not tarnish the majority of peaceful protesters,” the former VP said.
