Shrinking the democratic space
Last week Wednesday, reports emerged that the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, has branded the activities of the advocacy group, Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) a security threat and is therefore ordering a clampdown on their activities, especially public gatherings and processions. Mr Idris made this public while hosting the National Council of Women Societies (CWS) in his office in Abuja.
Quoting him verbertim, he said “The police management is aware of the agitation and the plight of parents of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls and other civil groups. As parents ourselves, we sympathize with them in these trying moments… Evidently, the government has invested huge resources in ensuring that the girls are rescued and re-united with their various families… However, the activities of the BringBackOurGirls group in Abuja, the nation’s capital recently, are becoming worrisome and threat to public peace and order… “#BringBackOurGirls protagonists must understand that in the exercise of their rights, they must not trample on other peoples’ rights through over-dramatization of emotions, self-serving propaganda and disrespect of public (office) holders…The police will not sit on the fence and watch such a scenario unfold. The rights of law-abiding citizens must be protected within the context of the law and we believe that enough is enough.”
Meanwhile, the IG has proceeded to carry out his threat by deploying female riot police operatives in full combat gear on Thursday to take over the Unity Fountain, Abuja, the meeting point of the #BringBackOurGirls coalition for their daily sit-outs.
This is unfortunate. It is also distressing that a whole police IG is not conversant with the laws of the land. Central to the idea of democracy is the fundamental rights of citizens to hold dissenting views, to organise and conduct peaceful processions, rallies or demonstrations without the permission of the government or anyone in authority. When a government or any of its agencies finds itself trying to circumscribe citizens’ right to demonstrate, it is in direct breach of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
This much was affirmed by the Court of Appeal in the case of All Nigeria Peoples Party v Inspector-General of Police (2008) 12 WRN 65 decided by the Court of Appeal on December 12, 2007. Even the age-old practice of seeking for a police permit to hold protests and demonstrations has been ruled unconstitutional. In an addendum to the lead judgement, Justice Muhammad JCA said:
“In present day Nigeria, clearly police permit has outlived its usefulness. Certainly, in a democracy, it is the right of citizens to conduct peaceful processions, rallies or demonstrations without seeking and obtaining permission from anybody. It is a right guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution and any law that attempt to curtail such rights is null and void and of no consequence.”
But it may only be the voice of Jacob and the hand of Esau. Mr Idris may be acting on orders from his superiors in the presidency. The government’s inclination for shrinking the democratic space has grown of recent in tandem with the depressing economy. This is not new and Nigerians must be united in resisting this new government offensive. What is at stake here is not only the right of the #BringBackOurGirls coalition to peaceful protest, but the rights of all Nigerians to hold dissenting opinions, to conduct peaceful processions, rallies or demonstrations.
This is also a big lesson to civil society and advocacy groups that may pander to or allow themselves to be used by politicians to achieve their aims. When the chips are down, they will be thrown under the bus by the politicians. We recall how the APC, then in opposition, made concerted efforts to align with the BBOG protests and even tried to portray it as a wing of its party. Now that the party has leveraged on the activities of the BBOG group to get to power, it now considers the group an irritant and wants to ban all its activities.
But like Prof Wole Soyinka reminded the IG and the government, “Democracy is not just about campaigning. It is exercising human rights. It is about helping to build the society. Demonstrations cannot be too much as long as those girls are missing. Demonstrations are an act of solidarity. Wherever they are today, when their mothers demonstrate on their behalf, their morale is raised.”
We urge Nigerians never to allow the government to circumscribe their rights to peaceful protests and demonstrations. Democracy and freedom are not earned on a platter of gold or by just going to vote. The price of freedom, as they say, is eternal vigilance.
We urge the government on its part, to focus on its primary duties of ensuring adequate security of lives and property and working to rescue the dying economy rather than strategising on how to circumscribe the rights of Nigerians. Or, the government could and should prioritise the rescue of the girls, more so now that it is determined the girls are still alive, so they can be reunited with their families and put a firm stop to the protests and sit outs of the BBOG coalition, which the government now sees as embarrassing and irritating.