Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has accused Bola Tinubu’s administration of waging what he described as a civilian coup against Nigeria’s democracy by restricting citizens’ right to protest.
Effiong raised the claim during a televised interview on Channels TV on Thursday and later posted a clip and the same question on his X account.
He said, “I am completely against a military coup in Nigeria, but can anyone tell me that the Tinubu regime has not waged a coup against our democracy?”
The lawyer argued that although military intervention is unacceptable, the government’s actions against peaceful demonstrators amounted to an assault on the constitution.
In his televised remarks, Effiong said, “Can you say today that the Tinubu regime, the Tinubu government, has not waged a coup against the constitution of our country?”
He criticised the ongoing restrictions on public gatherings in Abuja, including bans on protests at the Presidential Villa, Eagle Square and Shehu Shagari Way.
Effiong questioned, “Do you want Nigerians in Abuja to go to Sambisa Forest to protest?”
He said the administration was showing contempt for the rule of law by criminalising protesters while tolerating criminal groups.
According to him, “They are stigmatising those who are holding placards while the same government is romancing bandits that are using AK-47s to kill Nigerians.”
Effiong said Nigerians must resist attempts to silence dissent and insisted the right to protest was fundamental in any democracy.
His remarks triggered a wave of reactions on social media, with several users supporting his stance and condemning the government.
One user, @onyokpo, wrote that the administration was built on protests yet now “criminalising protest”.
Another commenter, @djokaymegamixer, said, “Nothing says ‘defender of democracy’ like silencing protesters, ignoring court orders, and rewriting the rules mid-game.”
@waleobiz added, “No guns, no tanks; just policies, appointments, and silence.”
Some described the current situation as a “civilian coup”, accusing Tinubu’s allies of using state power to suppress opposition and free speech.
A user identified as @04_deybo wrote, “What happened in 2023 was not a military coup but a civilian coup via professor of glitches.”
Others criticised what they called the hypocrisy of former opposition figures now in power who once relied on protests to gain political relevance.
Effiong maintained that demanding accountability and respecting the rights of citizens should not be considered an offence.
He said, “Let us stop this weaponisation of the legal system. Trivialisation of the rule of law. Making a mockery of the judicial system. Enough is enough.”
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