The Chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, Senator Shehu Sani on Sunday said Nigerians don’t need police permit to carry out protest against a government.
The Senator who represent Kaduna central under the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), made the comment as a result of the much publicised protest by Nigerian Music star Innocent Ujah Idibia popularly known as 2face.
Senator Sani said any attempt by Police authority to stop the protest will amount to distortion of democracy.
The activist turned politician himself said, the Artiste has the fundamental right to protest or lead a protest to criticise any government policy or programme he felt is wrong or he’s opposed to quickly added that, the All Progressives Congress (APC) while in opposition embarked on series of peaceful protest during the administrations of former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan, Olusegun Obasanjo and even military dictatorship hence lack moral right to stop others by any means.
The lawmaker, who was reacting to possibility of Nigerian Police Authority frustrating the protest told newsmen in Kaduna yesterday that, protest is part of democracy and should be graciously allowed once it is peaceful and void of breach of security.
He said, “Protest is a fundamental right in a democracy. In fact, citizens should be encouraged to organize and execute peaceful protest because it is a democratic channel through which people can express their strong opinion against policy, programme or action taken by government.
“A society that oppose violence must encourage the culture of peaceful protest. It is by encouraging people to peaceful protest that you can discourage them from going into violence.
“Tuface has the fundamental right to organize any protest. What we should not forget is that we came into power through popular mandate backed by strong culture, protest and criticism against the established establishment and system. For us to oppose any peaceful protest now, it simply contradict all that we have represented and claimed to have advocated for.
“Protest in a democracy is a civil expression of popular vote against the government. Before we came to power, we organize protest against previous administration. For someone like me, I’ve been a protester all my life.
“It is wrong for anybody or again nobody needs any police permit to organize any protest. Police should simply be informed to organize protection for anybody who want to protest. We led the protest against Jonathan. We led the protest against Obasanjo and even against military dictatorship here.
“As a government that is desirous of change, we cannot be seen to be opposed to any protest. Protest against government does not mean protest against President Muhammadu Buhari. But it is also good for us to understand that your support for the government should not include deny others their eight to criticize it and your opposition to the government should not deny others the fundamental right to support it. Therefore peaceful protest is civil and should be encouraged”, he narrated.
