Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has called on President Bola Tinubu to dismiss the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, due to his alleged hostile stance towards Nigerians protesting economic hardships.
Frank also urged Tinubu to immediately release all individuals detained during the nationwide protests that began on Thursday. In a statement on Sunday, he appealed to the President to prevent further violence and the use of lethal force against peaceful demonstrators by law enforcement agencies.
“Nigerians have the inalienable right to protest against government policies that adversely affect them and to demand changes for the collective good,” Frank declared.
He criticized Wike for securing a court order that attempted to confine protesters in Abuja to the MKO Abiola Stadium, commending the demonstrators’ bravery in defying this order.
Frank warned that continued aggression against peaceful protesters could escalate tensions and provoke resistance.
“The enforcement of this unjust order has led to peaceful protesters being tear-gassed by the police, arrested, and detained in large numbers, along with the harassment of journalists,” said Frank, who also serves as the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) Ambassador to East Africa and the Middle East.
The protests, which started in response to economic hardships and food insecurity, have faced strong reactions from security agencies in various parts of the country.
Wike previously urged FCT residents to comply with the court order restricting protests to the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, citing intelligence reports of potential property destruction by unidentified individuals under the guise of protests.
“We believe this country belongs to all of us; we must adhere to the rule of law, and part of that is obeying Court Orders,” Wike stated at a press briefing following an FCT Security Council meeting.
Meanwhile, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen. Christopher Musa, warned last week that the military would intervene if the 10-day protests turned violent.
“The armed forces and all security agencies will not stand by and allow that to continue,” Musa asserted, urging protesters to remain peaceful and law-abiding.
Frank also called on the international community, including the United States, United Kingdom, and European Union, to closely monitor the situation and consider imposing visa bans on the FCT Minister and security chiefs responsible for mistreating protesters. He vowed to petition the International Criminal Court to hold Nigerian officials accountable for the alleged killings of unarmed protesters.
