According to him, “The commencement of public protests across the country yesterday is noteworthy.
“These demonstrations have opened a vital channel for the public to express disapproval of government policies, furthering the essential conversation about good governance in our nation.
The administration of President Bola Tinubu has been urged to “come down” off its high horse, listen to the voice of the people, and respond to the demands of demonstrators by former vice president Atiku Abubakar.
While voicing their complaints at the opening of the statewide protest on Thursday, he praised Nigerian youths taking part in the #Hunger protests for their generally peaceful behavior.
This was said by Atiku in a statement on Friday in Abuja.
“To the government, I warn you to listen to the people and get off your high horses,” he declared.
“It is time to demonstrate a sincere commitment to addressing the demands of the protesters.
“The nation cannot afford further days of unrest; let this be the moment where leadership listens and acts with integrity and urgency.”
Atiku however condemned miscreants engaged in the looting of public and private property as well as police killing of innocent citizens.
According to him, “The commencement of public protests across the country yesterday is noteworthy.
“These demonstrations have opened a vital channel for the public to express disapproval of government policies, furthering the essential conversation about good governance in our nation.
“For the most part, protesters have conducted themselves with admirable peace and must be commended for their restraint and dedication.
“However, in some isolated instances, there have been reports of violence, leading to regrettable clashes and brutalities by the police.
“I urge the protesters to maintain their peaceful stance and call on more Nigerians to show solidarity and support for the #EndBadGovernance peaceful protest.
“This is a pivotal moment for our collective voice to be heard, and it must be done with dignity and respect for the law.
“I also call on the police to engage more professionally in managing these protests. The needless killing of innocent citizens by security agencies is unacceptable.
“The police must refrain from the molestation of journalists who are merely reporting the protest. It is imperative that security agencies exercise restraint while enforcing law and order.
“Security agencies are encouraged to identify and isolate the minority elements who are resorting to violence and looting, ensuring that the actions of a few do not tarnish the majority of peaceful protesters.”