It is 'against the law' to protest against President, says Igbokwe

Joe Igbokwe, the Publicity Secretary of Lagos states All Progressives Congress (APC), has said the ongoing Resume or Resign protest against President Muhammadu Buhari is against the laws of the country.

Igbokwedisclosed this on Sunrise Daily, a programme on Channels TV, while he was in an argument with Deji Adeyanju, the co-convener of the protests that started on Monday, August 7, 2017.

When asked for his opinion on the protests, Igbokwe said, "You're allowed to express your thoughts or to feel like you're in a democracy; freedom of speech, freedom of thought. We know where we are coming from. Deji, I think is the Acting Publicity Secretary of the PDP.

"When I saw Charly Boy sitting very close to him, I said this is just a PDP affair. He still speaks for the PDP. He has a right to protest, but you have to be very sensitive.

"What did the law say? The president was going out for medical treatment and he transmitted power, wrote to the National Assembly. That's what the law says, and he moved on .

"The Vice President stepped in as the Acting President, so where's the vacumm? None. Except for people who are looking for something.

"They don't have any business to go and protest. It's even against the law to protest that the president must resume or resign when the needful has been done."

When challenged on Nigerians' human rights of freedoms of association, movement and expression, he said, "You have to know what you're saying. They went to protest, and I just saw about six people. When they were not getting the number they required, they started going to the market. What is their business going to the market?

"Anybody can be sick. You can provoke people by what you say. If you go to line up on the streets and begin to say the president must resume or resign when he had done the needful, then you're not getting it."

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Igbokwe's comments come only a day after the protesters were attacked while protesting at the popular WuseMarket in Abuja on Tuesday, August 15.

They were pelted with stones, and Charly Boy (Charles Oputa), another co-convener of the protest, was almost lynched by hoodlums at the market before security operatives restored order.

On Tuesday, August 8, the group was also attacked by the police at Unity Fountain with tear gas cannisters and water cannons, in a move that was roundly criticised by the Nigerian public.

The group has been staging the protests at the Unity Fountain since Monday August 7, demanding that the president should either return to the country he left over three months ago, or resign from his position.

On Thursday, August 10, pro-Buhari groups, like the Coalition for Good Governance and Change Initiative,marched the streets of Abuja in support of the president who has been out of the country for 101 days.

On Friday, August 11, both groups met at Unity Fountain, and trouble almost broke out before it was promptly contained by the police.

President Buhari left the country on May 7 to resume treatment for an undisclosed illness in London, leaving Acting President Yemi Osinbajo in charge of the country's affairs.

Although the president has said he is completely healthy and is only waiting for a clean bill of health from his doctors, there has been no confirmed date for his return.