Senators condemn the use of force to disperse campaigners protesting against Buhari's absence

SENATORS have condemned the use of excessive force by the police to disperse protesters who gathered in Abuja yesterday to demand that President Muhammadu Buhari either resigns or resumes office after over three months on medical vacation in the UK.

On May 7, President Buhari left for London, handing over authority to his vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo, who has been acting ever since. Despite recent talk of the president recovering from his illness, there is no indication that he will return home soon and yesterday, protesters took to the streets of Abuja to demand an end to the impasse.

Campaigners who belonged to a group called Our Mumu Don Do, led by Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, the former president of the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria, held a sit-in at the Unity Fountain in Abuja. However, they were forcefully dispersed by the Nigeria Police Force, with Mr Oputa collapsing after inhaling tear gas.

Condemning this use of excessive force, Senator Aliyu Abdullahi, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, stated that although the senate did not support the protest, it would not support the violation of fundamental rights of Nigerians. He added that the protesters were peaceful and did not pose any threat to the public whatsoever.

Senator Abdullahi said: “While we are opposed to the subject of the protest, the senate acknowledges that the protesters have the constitutional right to gather and express their views in a manner that will not breach public peace and order. 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 brutalise them as they reportedly did yesterday.

“The police should review their rules of engagement and ensure that they are in line with that of modern democratic societies as the rights of the people should not be violated by the police employed to protect these rights. Where the police suspect that hoodlums are trying to hijack a protest, it is their duty to apprehend the hoodlums and those who break the law rather than generalise and thus brutalise innocent protesters."

He then urged the organisers of the protest to join other Nigerians in praying for the safe return of President Buhari. According to Senator Abdullahi, the protesters should note that any mortal can find himself in the situation where one needs medical attention and time to fully recuperate.

Senator Abdullahi also stressed that in the present case, the president complied with the provisions of the constitution and all organs of government are not impaired nor hindered by his medical vacation. Yesterday, President Buhari's spokesperson Lauretta Onochie, pointed out that having handed over to Professor Osinbajo, he is now a private citizen.