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As the nationwide #Endbadgovernance protests enter the third day across the country, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the presidential candidate of Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, have called on President Bola Tinubu to address Nigerians.
The NLC in a statement signed by its Head of Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah, called for a sincere dialogue to end the protest.
It added: “We advised government to have dialogue with the leaders instead of engaging in unhelpful rhetoric, as it was within their constitutional rights to protest.
“Our position on government meeting with and engaging in sincere dialogue with the leaders of this action remains unchanged. It’s the best way to go.”
The residential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar, described the ongoing nationwide protests against economic hardship in the country as significant.
Atiku said the protests had opened a vital channel for the public to express disapproval of government policies.
In a post on his X handle, Atiku said protesters had conducted themselves with admirable peace and must be commended for their restraint and dedication.
He said: “The commencement of public protests across the country on Thursday is noteworthy. These demonstrations have opened a vital channel for the public to express disapproval of the 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. 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.
“I also call on the police to engage more professionally in managing these protests. The needless killing of innocent citizens by security agencies is unacceptable. The police must refrain from the molestation of journalists who are merely reporting the protest.
“To the government, I advise 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."
Also, Obi in a statement by his media aide, Tanko Yunusa, advised the President to address the nation and attend to the legitimate demands of the people.
“My appeal is for the President to come out and address the nation; he is the one the people elected, holding their mandate, and he should not be using aides or appointees to reach the people at such critical times.”
