Give peace a chance, Tinubu tells protesters

The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, last night, called on protesters to stop in the interest of peace and peaceful coexistence.

In a statement he personally signed, Tinubu said “for the past twelve days, our country has witnessed massive protests by youths in different cities, which were ignited by widespread disenchantment with the gross human rights abuses including torture, extortion, harassment, intimidation and even extra-judicial killings of

Nigerians by members of the disbanded Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS).

“The demands for fundamental police reforms by the protesting youths are in pursuit of our aspiration in our national anthem ‘to build a nation where peace and justice shall reign’. Justice as one of our greatest writers has memorably noted is the first condition of humanity.

“A society where those who are paid from the public purse to protect the lives and property of the people become themselves threats to the liberty, safety and dignity of the people; where human life is difficult to distinguish from Thomas Hobbes ‘State of Nature - ‘solitary, poor, nasty and brutish’ is not one fit for free and decent people to live in. Such impunity and lawlessness are incompatible with the values and tenets of a democratic society governed by the supremacy of the rule of law,” he said.

“It is impossible for anyone truly committed to the rule of law, democracy and good governance to be opposed to the concern and demands of the protesters. There is no way that any society can make meaningful progress without the enthronement of these values,” he added.

Tinubu also commended all religious leaders, Christians and Muslims for their patriotism and high sense of responsibility “at this sensitive time.”

“I appeal to them to call on their teeming followers to call of the protests for now and give peace a chance. I also strongly appeal to the protesters - You have made your point. Government has made its commitment to you. Please, please and please, call off the protests. Give government a chance to implement your demands,” he said.