The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has expressed his support for the constitutional right of Nigerians to protest, thereby tacitly endorsing the planned August 1 nationwide protests against hardship in the country.
Addressing journalists during a visit to the Governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, on Sunday, Obi emphasised that protest is a legal right under the Nigerian constitution.
“On the issue of protest, within the Nigerian constitution, protest is allowed,” Obi stated. He, however, urged protesters to act within the law and maintain civility, saying, “All I plead is for those who are protesting to do so within the law, and in a civil manner that allows us as a nation to show that we live within the law.”
Obi highlighted the underlying causes of the protests, pointing to widespread hunger and hopelessness among the youth. “Everybody knows that things are difficult. When they talk about the sponsors of the protest, I say, the sponsors are hunger and hopelessness among the youth. We all have to listen to what Nigerians are going through, and I thank our governor for doing so; it is critical and important.”
He also addressed security agencies, urging them to manage the situation lawfully. “What I say to the security agencies is that they should ensure they manage the situation within the law. We should not try to be overbearing. Protest is allowed everywhere globally. Even in my house, people protest, and it’s for us to listen to those who are protesting, engage them—that’s what governance is about. I was governor for years, and people protested.”
However, in contrast, Obi’s host and Abia State governor, Alex Otti, of the same Labour Party, acknowledged the severe hardship facing Nigerians but cautioned against the potential consequences of street protests.
Speaking to journalists, Otti said, “It will be very unfair to say that things are not difficult now. Things are very difficult, and hunger is real. But how do you solve the problem?”
Otti pointed out that the economic challenges were a result of prolonged bad governance. He stressed the legal requirements for organizing protests, noting, “First of all, for you to organize a protest, the law requires that you get permission from the security agencies, particularly the police, and somebody should take responsibility for getting that approval. If you don’t have the approval, then it will be against the law for you to be protesting on the streets.”
The governor concluded by urging the people of Abia to consider the implications of protests. “My final word is that people should think about the implications of pouring out on the streets and restricting the movement of other people, possibly inflicting harm and more hardship on the people.” He advised Abia residents to refrain from street protests, suggesting that such actions could be more detrimental than the issues they aim to address.
