By kawaekwune Jeffrey
Radical Lagos Lawyer, Human rights activist and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN), Mr Femi Falana, has cautioned against acts capable of undermining our nation’s sustained democratic system.
The Senior Lawyer urged Nigerians to be vigilant and ensure that people are not incited into chaos during the protests, urging public vigilance to safeguard Nigeria’s democratic process.
Falana, a leading pro-democracy activist who spoke when he appeared on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, emphasized the need to prevent any actions that could undermine the country’s democracy.
It would be recalled that the nationwide protests, which began on August 1, were sparked by widespread economic difficulties which have left many Nigerians struggling to afford basic necessities. According to the protesters, the demonstrations was therefore aimed at addressing perceived government failures in addressing the nation’s economic challenges and equally demand amelioration to harmful policies.
Recall that in some northern states, including Kaduna, Katsina, and Kano, protesters escalated their actions by reportedly waving Russian flags and calling for military intervention. The protests which the organizers claimed would be peaceful, however, turned out to be violent in certain states, with reports of casualties.
While weighing in on these developments, the radical Lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Falana, urged that while it is the legitimate right of all to protest, the citizens must guard against actions that would allow protests to dovetail into calls for an unconstitutional change of government. Falana while reflecting on past struggles for democracy and human rights, said: “While we must respect the right to peaceful protest and express dissent against those in power, we must also ensure that these protests do not devolve into demands for unconstitutional changes of government or calls for military rule.”
He acknowledged the legitimacy of grievances which he said are driving the protests but warned against allowing enemies of democracy to exploit the situation. The prodemocracy activist noted the importance of maintaining democratic stability, pointing out that many Nigerians under 40 have never experienced military rule and may lack a full understanding of its consequences.
He added:”It is crucial that we learn from our history and ensure that our democratic processes are not compromised by those seeking to destabilize the nation.”
