RIPPLES NIGERIA
The Presidency, on Saturday, alleged that supporters of Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, are planning a nationwide protests aimed at destabilizing the country.
According to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the protesters are the same individuals who instigated the destructive ENDSARS protest in 2020 and were now using hashtags like “EndBadGovernance” and “Tinubu Must Go” to spread propaganda.
Onanuga claimed that the protesters were not democrats but anarchists seeking to overthrow the elected government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. He warned that their actions could lead to high treason and urged security agents to interrogate the protest planners.
“REVEALED: Peter Obi’s supporters are the people planning mayhem in Nigeria: Obi should be held responsible for anarchy
“Don’t be fooled: the malcontents planning to stage nationwide protests are supporters of Peter Obi, the failed presidential candidate of the Labour Party. And he should be held responsible for whatever crisis emanates from the action.
“The protest planners are also the same people who were instigated by IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu to launch the destructive ENDSARS protest in Nigeria in October 2020. ENDSARS began as a genuine protest by youths against the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad, notorious for its high-handedness. IPOB members planning to extricate the South East region from Nigeria infiltrated the protest and hijacked it for their own agenda. Lagos still bears the scar of the malicious destruction by IPOB elements until today,” Onanuga claimed.
The Presidency also highlighted the government’s efforts to address economic challenges, including increasing the minimum wage, providing loans to students, and promoting consumption credit.
Onanuga advised Nigerians to consider the government’s efforts before joining the protests, which he believes are aimed at causing mayhem.
He noted, “They are the people spreading the hashtags ‘EndBadGovernance’, ‘Tinubu Must Go,’ and ‘Revolution2024’. They are not democrats but anarchists. They are attempting to call out our people via propaganda because their Messiah, Peter Obi, failed to win the Presidency in the 2023 election. As bad losers, they don’t have the patience to wait for another election in 2027; they would rather destabilise Nigeria by staging a civilian coup against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“If they understand the meaning of their hashtags, they will realise they are clarion calls for treason. Wanting to end an elected government is high treason. Wanting revolution is a call for a coup d’etat, which is also high treason.”
This development comes as tensions rise in the country, with some groups calling for protests against the government. The Presidency’s allegations have sparked a heated debate, with some supporting the government’s stance and others defending the right to peaceful protest.