The Presidency and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have exchanged heated words over a planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest. This protest, which aims to address economic hardship, has been gaining momentum on social media and is scheduled to occur across all states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August.
In recent months, prices of food and basic commodities have skyrocketed, plunging Nigerians into one of the country’s worst inflation and economic crises. These hardships have been largely attributed to the government’s policies on petrol subsidy removal and the unification of forex windows.
In response, the Federal Government, through the National Orientation Agency (NOA), the Nigeria Police Force, and the House of Representatives, has issued warnings against the planned demonstration.
Onanuga Accuses Labour Party and Obi
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga accused the Labour Party and Peter Obi of orchestrating the protest to draw President Bola Tinubu’s attention to the dire economic situation in the country.
“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,” Onanuga alleged in a Twitter post on Saturday.
Onanuga cautioned that the protest could devolve into chaos, similar to the ENDSARS demonstrations against police brutality in 2020, which turned violent after being hijacked by unscrupulous elements. He also claimed that the economy is improving, and inflation is slowing, urging security agents to investigate these “agents of destabilisation.”
Labour Party and Obi Deny Involvement
In a statement, Labour Party spokesman Obiora Ifoh refuted Onanuga’s claims, stating that there is no truth to them and describing the accusations as a figment of Onanuga’s imagination.
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“Labour Party is known for being a very peaceful party and it has on several occasions asked its followers to follow peace at all times. We are not known as a lawless group as was evident in the aftermath of the last general election. It is therefore delusional for anyone to link our supporters to the planned protest. Labour Party, Peter Obi, and our supporters are not planning any protests,” Ifoh asserted.
Ifoh emphasized that peaceful protests worldwide are typically initiated by the people, not by opposition parties. He criticized the government for deflecting blame for the current state of bad governance and urged caution among presidential aides to avoid making incendiary remarks that could destabilize the nation.
“Nigeria can still get it right if the right policies are initiated. We also advise that some aides of the presidency must be cautioned to avoid incendiary pronouncements capable of combusting the nation, all in the name of playing politics,” Ifoh concluded.
