The leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has backed the upcoming nationwide protest against the prevailing economic hardship in the country, describing it as timely and in the interest of the Nigerian masses.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja on Wednesday 17th July, the National Chairman of the opposition party, Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, urged citizens to protest peacefully to avoid any hijacking of the movement.
While expressing total support for the protest, Alhaji Gabam, appealed to security agencies to be civil in responding to the yearnings of Nigerians, adding that the struggle for a better Nigeria is the responsibility of all, irrespective of political differences and dispositions.
“To the citizens of Nigeria, the SDP appeals to every citizen coming out to vent their displeasure in the rallies to do so peacefully.
“Being conscious of the fact that we have no other country except Nigeria, we in the Social Democratic Party support the protest.” He added.
Recall that on February 9, 2024, irate youths and women took to the streets of Minna, the capital of Niger State, and Kano to protest the soaring hike in prices of food and other essential commodities in the market.
In the same vain, some civil society groups including the Take It Back Movement, the Education Rights Campaign, the Coalition for Revolution and the Socialist Workers League protested on June 12 against the rising cost of living, insecurity and other challenges facing the nation.
The protesters, who stormed the streets in some southwestern states, carried placards with inscriptions such as: “President Tinubu, let the poor breathe”, “Pay living wage to all Nigerian workers now”, “End insecurity”, “Nationalise the power sector” and “Reverse tariff increases now”, among others.
Meanwhile, recently there has been fliers circulating online notifying of a planned protest billed to take place in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
Although some of the organizers, particularly from the northern region, remain anonymous, African Action Congress (AAC) 2023 presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore has been campaigning for the August protest through his social media handles.
Sowore, who has spearheaded several protests across the country, said the revolution would begin in August, insisting that “nothing can stop an idea whose time has come” #RevolutionNOW.
Sowore wrote: “The REVOLUTION is knocking at our doors! #RevolutionNow. Let us all rise up at once in August 2024!
“Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come. They called for a revolution and it is here! @officialABAT once called for a revolution, even @MBuhari once called for a revolution and Nigerians now want a real revolution.
“Nothing can stop an idea whose time has come” #RevolutionNOW.”
The viral flier entitled; “End Bad Governance in Nigeria 2024” by anonymous groups attributed the planned protest to 10 government policies that they say have imposed unexpected hardships on Nigerians.
Among other demands, the group urged the government to “end the subsidy scam and revert the price of fuel to less than N300 per litre, restore tertiary education fees to their previous rates, restore electricity tariff to levels affordable to the public, return import duties to their previous rates, publicly disclose and reduce the salaries and allowances of all Senators, members of the House of Representatives, reform the EFCC.”
Meanwhile, a popular social commentator and investigative journalist, @PIDOMNIGERIA, posted the leaked memo on his verified X account, where the Nigerian Police Force is reportedly initiating plans to stop the planned protest.
The police, in an internal memo, said that “some groups are mobilising for mass protests across the country from 1st to 10th of 2024.”
The memo, dated July 8 and copied to zonal deputy inspectors general of police, urged officers to be proactive and “mobilize well-equipped and armed personnel” ahead of the protest.
“INGENPOL is hereby directed to be proactive, mobilize well-equipped personnel, create synergies with other sister agencies and the military, seize all strategic points in its AOR, deploy covertly for smart meetings, disperse illegal gatherings, hold heart-to-heart talks with stakeholders in the community, no form of protest should be allowed during the period,” the memo added.
As of press time however, the Force has yet to react to the leaked memo.
The planned nationwide protest has instilled fear in Nigerian civil servants, especially lawmakers, who are nervous about a possible attack against them.
Earlier, the Nigerian Senate on Tuesday engaged in a panic debate, expressing fear of attacks by angry Nigerians who are unhappy with the prevailing hardships.
Some of the lawmakers expressed fear that angry Nigerians could resort to attacks and rebellions against public officials.
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The debate followed a motion titled: “Urgent Need to Address Food Insecurity and Exploitation of Consumables Market in Nigeria”, sponsored by Senator Sunday Karimi Steve representing Kogi West Senatorial District and co-sponsored by Senator Ali Ndume Mohammed representing Borno South Senatorial District.
Former Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, after commending the sponsor of the motion, said Nigerians have exhausted their patience and might come after them if nothing is done quickly due to acute hunger.
“If we do not take immediate action, we will lose power and our citizens in a situation of rising fuel prices, rising electricity prices, rising everything and we still have to take appropriate measures to raise questions to our constituents.
“We would not like the kind of things we see on our streets and it is time for us to take all possible measures to get out of the arms of the government and ensure that food floods into our country, the right food,” he said.
