- Senate Condemns Attack on Protesters
Aisha Yesufu, co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) movement and Jim Iyke, popular Nollywood actor, Wednesday joined the protest demanding the resumption or resignation of President Muhammadu Buhari at Unity Fountain, Abuja.
The protesters, who began their sit-in at Unity Fountain, Abuja, on Monday, are demanding that Buhari return to the country or resign.
The president has been receiving medical attention in the United Kingdom since May 7 when he left the country.
On Tuesday, the police clamped down on the protesters, alleging that hoodlums had infiltrated the group.
But speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Charles Oputa, popular musician, better known as Charly Boy, said the group would not be deterred despite the clamp down.
He described the police’ action as “sad, very wrong and disgraceful.”
Oputa also alleged that the action of the security agencies was being controlled by some “cabal.”
“We also use the press in a positive way, that was what turned against them. That was why they came out in full force yesterday because they were overwhelmed with the turnout,” he said.
“I know that all of this is being controlled by the people who have captured the power, they tell them (the police) what to do and this is the evil we are up against.”
The rights activist also said that contrary to insinuations, the group has nothing against the president.
“We have nothing against Buhari, as far as we are concerned, he seems to be an honourable person but it is this cabal around him,” he added.
“Remember one time, his wife was crying out (about the cabal), this is exactly what she was trying to tell Nigerians.”
Similarly, Jim Iyke also justified the group’s call for the president to return to the country or resign.
He said the group would remain united in their cause “no matter what happens.”
“Enough is enough. It is a simple thing, our mantra is one, our decision is one,” he said.
“Unequivocally, we are saying that the president either resumes or resigns. It is natural when you get old, you shift and let the young ones take over.”
Aisha Yesufu, who is joining the group for the first time, had also asked the president to resign earlier in May.
A strong critic of the Buhari-led administration, Yesufu had said nothing was working in Nigeria with an acting president piloting the nation’s affairs.
According to her, “when are we going to realise that this acting president thing is not working out, it’s really not working out?” she asked.
“Things are stagnating in Nigeria, for crying out loud, the president is sick, the president is not capable of discharging his duty as president, why can’t he resign.”
Meanwhile, the Senate yesterday condemned the brutality meted out to the protesters by the police, saying the security agents should not violate the rights of the people they were employed to protect.
This followed Charly Boy’s swipe at the Senate for its dismissive position against calls by protesters for the president to resign or return to work. The group which had described the Senate as a monumental disappointment for failing to ask necessary questions about the long absence of Buhari, affirmed that police intimidation and brutality would not deter it from demanding explanation from the Federal Government on the whereabouts of the president and his medical fitness to continue in office.
Again, the police yesterday allegedly used force to disperse the protesters in Abuja. But the Senate spokesman, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi, in a statement, said while the lawmakers condemned the subject of the protest “which is aimed at forcing President Buhari to either terminate his medical vacation or resign”, the upper chamber would not support any violation of the fundamental human rights of Nigerians.
“Since the ‘Our-Mumu-Don-Do’ protesters did not conduct themselves in such a manner as to disturb public peace, it is not right for the police to brutalize the people as they reportedly did.”
The Senate called for a review of the police rules of engagement to conform with the principles of democracy as being practised in modern democracies. Meanwhile, the Arewa Youth Forum (AYF) has accused northern governors and South West politicians of being responsible for the protest against Buhari.
