Hardship Protests: Atiku Is Sincere & Patriotic By Half (EDITORIAL)
Former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has shown that he is really concerned about what is happening to the people of the country, at least the people from the northern and eastern part of the federation. His comments on the ongoing nationwide protests have shown that he is however half sincere and half patriot. Simply put, the former vice president is bias.
Since Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu took over the affairs of the country from his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, the country has been more balkanized, polarized and divided more than before. The results of the last general elections have not been widely or generally accepted by the runner-ups including the former vice president. And it often appears in what he does and says.
He gave his total support to the protest saying that the people of the country have constitutional rights to protest. Atiku was not wrong. In fact, the current administration has demonstrated poor leadership skills, plunged millions of citizens to abject poverty and brought despair rather than what it promised – hope.
Nevertheless, Atiku Abubakar has shown his bias and that is condemnable for a national figure, for an individual who is regarded as an elder statesman. He has let emotions to get the best of him. What exactly did Atiku Abubakar do?
He criticised the use of force and opening of fire on Kano State protesters. He was sad with the happenings in the northern state. Online Parrot News reported that lives were lost and properties looted or destroyed when the protesters started going on rampage to the extent of entering the secretariat in Kano city.
Using live bullets or even teargas on unarmed protesters is not only repulsive, but also condemnable. Every reasonable person should condemn such. But the former president cannot deny the fact that the protesters held Russian flag while demonstrating. It means they wanted the dictator Vladimir Putin to interfere in the sovereign land of Nigeria? The matter of protests remains an internal affairs and it’s yet to snowball into a wider crisis to call for external help.
They were brandishing the flag like weapons. It’s more saddening that the former vice president is unconcerned. He would rather sympathize with the people, perhaps because of their votes in the next general elections rather than be worried about the safety of the whole country.
Nigerians can remember what happens where Russia intervenes. The military takes over and can Nigeria afford to return to the same system it left two and a half decades ago? The president himself said that enemies of democracy are working on truncating the progress the country has made. Atiku, who has benefited immensely from democracy should be bothered about the flag the Kano #EndBadGovernance Protesters held.
Not only that, the former vice president only asked Tinubu’s Government to isolate and prosecute the vandals, the looters. He didn’t call for an end to that act of barbarism. Isn’t that half sincerity and half patriotism? Atiku knows the language he can talk to the people and make them stop their protests.
Politics has ended, it’s time for governance and every Nigerian will taste from the bad governance of President Bola Tinubu. And it will be more bitter if external aggressors intervene.
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