Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has voiced sharp criticism against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Atiku strongly condemned the arrest, detention, and prosecution of 76 young people involved in the #EndBadGovernance protests, highlighting the government’s harsh response toward these youth.
According to Atiku, even minors have not been spared from Tinubu’s so-called “wickedness.” He went as far as to refer to Tinubu as “T Pain,” in a nod to the distress felt by the protesters. Vanguard reports that during the court proceedings, one young protester collapsed, which critics attributed to malnutrition and lack of proper treatment.
In a social media post, Atiku expressed his dismay, saying, “A troubling video showing malnourished children being taken to court by the Tinubu-led government has come to my attention. This disturbing scene, which resembles conditions in a Nazi camp, shows how little this administration values the lives of vulnerable children.”
Atiku stressed the need to uphold children’s rights, citing Section 11 of Nigeria’s Child Rights Act, which states that all children should be treated with respect and dignity. He highlighted a section from the Act, emphasizing that “Every child should be protected from physical, mental, or emotional harm, abuse, or degrading treatment.”
The delay in arraigning the young protesters also raised Atiku’s concern. “These children are facing charges for their involvement in the #EndBadGovernance protests, which happened between August 1 and August 10, 2024. It is now three months later, and we can only imagine the terrible conditions they endured in detention,” he said.
Reflecting on Tinubu’s past as a pro-democracy activist, Atiku expressed disappointment that Tinubu, once known for protesting Nigeria’s past leaders, now criminalizes young people protesting his own policies. He emphasized that children, who are deeply affected by these policies, have the constitutional right to protest peacefully. “A nation can be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens, and it is heartbreaking that even children are not spared from this cruelty,” Atiku stated.
In closing, Atiku pointed out that the distressing conditions in which the children were brought to court serve as proof of why they chose to protest in the first place.
