Labour Party (LP) candidate in the February 25, 2023 presidential election, Mr. Peter Obi, has identified ‘those’ behind the proposed nationwide protest called by some CSOs and youth groups and scheduled to begin from August 1-10, in response to the current harsh economic situation in the country.
In an interview with Channels TV during a visit to Abia State Governor Alex Otti on Sunday (yesterday, July 28), the former Governor of Anambra State identified “hunger and hopelessness” as the very elements behind the upcoming protest, urging the protesters, however, to demonstrate civilly.
“Protest is allowed within the Nigerian Constitution. All I ask is for those who are protesting to do so within the law and in a civil manner, demonstrating that we live within the law as a nation,” he told the news tv station. “Everyone knows that things are difficult. When they talk about the sponsors of the protest, I say the sponsors are very simple: hunger and hopelessness among the youths. So, we all have to listen to what Nigerians are going through.”
Insisting that Nigerians have a constitutional right to stage peaceful protests against bad governance, Obi urged the security agencies to handle the situation lawfully and avoid being overbearing.
“To the security agencies, I urge them to ensure they manage the situation within the law. We should not try to be overbearing. Protests are allowed everywhere globally. Listen to why people are protesting, engage and talk with them. That is what governance is all about,” he advised.
Obi’s views came against the backdrop of a letter his lawyers recently wrote to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Communications, Mr. Bayo Onanuga demanding a retraction of the latter’s earlier statement accusing Obi and others of masterminding the proposed protest and paying N5bn damages to Obi or risk being dragged to court for defamation.
In a similar development also yesterday, Obi, responding to an accusation of a former spokesman of his presidential campaign, Mr. Kenneth Okonkwo, that the leadership crisis in the Labour Party had lingered because Obi had failed to handle the situation with the required firmness, said that he had never been a man for tigbuo-zogbuo politics (politics of violence) and would not start it now.
Obi said it was inconceivable that he would contemplate, let alone sponsor or actually carry out violence against the nation, or any other group for that matter, for whatever political gains, adding that while he could be described as meek and respectful, it would be a mistake for anyone to underrate him and take him for a weak person.
But, he assured that he would not allow such ‘a wrong’ perception of him to deter him but would continue, to stay focused, respectful and undistracted as long as he believed he was on the right track.
“I have never engaged in the politics of ‘tigbue zogbue’ (violence), and I will not start now,” he emphasized.
