Ayodele Okedele Esq., a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has called on the association’s president, Y.C Maikyau, SAN, to reconsider the NBA’s stance on the peaceful #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests. In his letter, Okedele expressed his concerns as a bar member, an active Nigerian, and an advocate for human dignity, criticizing the NBA’s position as anti-democratic.
Okedele emphasized the importance of the NBA engaging directly with Nigerians and advising President Tinubu on addressing their needs. He stated, “I write regarding your email dated July 29, 2024, particularly paragraphs 13 – 21, where you passionately discouraged Nigerians from exercising their right to peaceful protests, contrary to the spirit and letters of the Nigerian constitution – a document dear to our association.”
He continued, “Sir, myself and other well-meaning Nigerians are dissatisfied and embarrassed by the subtly anti-democratic statement. I told a colleague who has been unable to access his socials about your letter: ‘This is ridiculous, is the NBA no longer a pressure group?’ Since the release of the statement, Nigerians have added another reason to criticize our association, decreasing our professional value and relevance.”
Okedele pointed out that President Tinubu has historically supported the right to peaceful protest, as seen in his tweets against former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. He highlighted a tweet from Tinubu: “It was through this that colonialism, apartheid, and all forms of dictatorship, misrule, and tyranny have been overcome across time and space. Our current democratic dispensation was borne of struggle in response to the challenge of military dictatorship.” Okedele expressed optimism that Tinubu would welcome the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest.
He urged the NBA to invest in writing to President Tinubu, advising him to engage directly with Nigerians, address their needs, and provide adequate protection to peaceful protesters. “Should you do this, you would earn his respect and that of your professional brethren,” Okedele wrote.
On behalf of himself and other concerned members of the bar, Okedele made the following requests:
- Establish Human Rights Compliance and Monitoring Teams across all 130 branches of the Nigerian Bar Association, with a central committee to compile and publish reports within a week of the protest’s conclusion.
- Issue a press release directing law enforcement and security agencies to protect the fundamental human rights of protesters.
- Retract the criticized statement and issue an apology to all professional brethren via the same means of communication.
- Send a demand letter to President Tinubu, requesting a clear order to all law enforcement and security agencies to protect the rights and lives of peaceful protesters.
- Set up a legal aid service team in partnership with civil society organizations across the thirty-six states and the Federal Capital Territory.
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