Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has encouraged the suspended Senator representing Kogi Central, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, and her supporters to proceed with the scheduled rally in Kogi State.
Naija News reports that the Kogi State Government had banned rallies and public gatherings in the state over alleged security reports.
The government also stopped fishing and other activities, lamenting that fishing activities had resulted in the loss of two lives in Kasemiya, Katubo, and Umozu Ette, all in the Kogi Local Government Area in Kogi West.
Notwithstanding, Natasha insists she would not back down on her plan to return to her constituency for the Sallah break. She urged her supporters to discard speculations circulating that she had canceled her scheduled visit.
However, the Kogi State Police Command, in a statement on Tuesday, called on the organizers of the planned rally to cancel the event in the interest of peace in the state.
Reacting to the development, Effiong in a post via 𝕏 suggested that Nigeria is not improving anytime soon, stressing that the rot, corruption, and partisanship in the police are despicable.
The human rights lawyer described the police statement as ‘useless’ and urged Natasha and her supporters to defy the police and proceed with their rally.
He said: “Nigeria is not improving anytime soon. The rot, corruption, and partisanship in the police are despicable.
“The organizers should ignore this useless statement and proceed with their rally.
“The courts and the law have made it clear that the only role of the police in political rallies is to provide adequate security, and that the police cannot disrupt rallies because of alleged apprehension of hijack or violence by ‘hoodlums.’
“I urge Senator Natasha and her supporters to defy the police and the governor.”
