Democracy, freedoms and liberties are all in danger of being ridiculed and abused when people claiming to exercise them do not know the boundaries of these human and constitutional rights. Some misguided and overzealous ones among the Nigerians who picketed the visiting President Muhammadu Buhari at Abuja House in London last week went far beyond the limits of legitimate protest when they rained insults at his person. Not surprisingly, their totally unbecoming conduct overshadowed their message and won widespread approbation rather than sympathy back at home.
Viral videos from the scene showed, at first, a peaceful and measured protest by Nigerians living in London, with a smattering of foreigners. They protested Buhari’s medical trip to London at a time when resident doctors in Nigeria were on strike due to various issues. They told the president to return home and build a decent health care system here, a view shared by many people in Nigeria.
Suddenly however, a female protester who was echoing the same message in Hausa language went over the top and began raining insults on the president, using unprintable language. She also dared him to “do something to her,” proof enough of her Nigerian way of thinking despite residency abroad. The woman has since been identified as a lawyer and artist, and also the daughter of one of this country’s most prominent academics and medical practitioners. Her conduct was totally unworthy of the legacy of her father, a very peaceable man and bridge-builder who occupied some of the highest academic and political positions in this country during his lifetime.
The culture of protest is very important in democratic practice. However, Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora must learn to conduct such protests with decency and within civil bounds in order for the message to sink in and for the protest to achieve the desired results. To stage a protest just for the heck of it and to use methods and language that will not help the intended cause is anarchy, pure and simple. We condemn in strong terms the unbecoming conduct of some of the London protesters and urge all Nigerians at home and in diaspora to learn the right lessons from it.