Accusations from the Presidency that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for The Labour Party and his supporters are responsible for an upcoming nationwide anti-government protest on August 1st have been rejected by the party.
Treasonous was how The Presidency characterized the calls for protests, using hashtags such as #TinubuMustGo and #Revolution2024.
Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, made a comprehensive tweet over the weekend in which he alleged Peter Obi and his followers of endorsing hashtags. He asserted that they are not supporters of democracy but rather seek anarchy.
According to Onanuga, if the true essence of their hashtags is comprehended, individuals will recognize that they are essentially urging for acts of treason. To desire the termination of a democratically elected government amounts to an act of serious treachery; and advocating for revolution equates to participating in a coup d’état.
Onanuga suggested a Save-Nigeria-Rally for August 1-15, 2024 as a reply to the upcoming demonstrations aiming to combat increasing living expenses and financial difficulties.
He connected the demonstrators behind the protest to last year’s October #EndSARS protests, known for their violence. “These planners of the protest are identical individuals who were provoked by Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB leader during EndSARS demonstrations,” he alleged.
Accusations were made by Onanuga that the protest organizers aimed to destabilize Nigeria through a civilian coup against President Bola Tinubu.
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Onanuga conducted a campaign of public humiliation by exposing an anonymous X account associated with the protest organizer and disclosed specific individuals who were instrumental in planning the demonstration.
According to Onanuga, economic challenges are prevalent in every nation and he maintained that civil and democratic societies rely on elections rather than protests for changing leadership.
Nigerians were encouraged to take into account the actions taken by the government in resolving issues concerning cost of living. These measures include elevating minimum wage, offering student loans and distributing palliatives like rice.
The accusations elicited a response from the Labour Party.
The LP refuted the assertions made by the Presidency and cautioned against associating Peter Obi with the forthcoming demonstrations.
Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, declared that the allegations were unfounded and reiterated that their party advocates for peace. He further clarified that neither Peter Obi nor anyone affiliated with them is organizing any demonstrations or rallies.
Yunusa Tanko, the spokesperson for Obi’s campaign team, refuted Onanuga’s allegations and argued that it was unjust to hold Obi responsible for Nigeria’s economic struggles. According to Tanko, “In a democracy such as this, citizens have the right to voice their opinions and concerns.”
The National Publicity Director of ruling party All Progressives Congress (APC), Bala Ibrahim, warned that any attempt to organize a demonstration aimed at overthrowing the government would amount to high treason. He emphasized that protests should be conducted in an orderly and peaceful manner.
Ibrahim stated that any action aimed at disrupting order in a country is similar to treason and tantamount to urging for forceful government change, something no responsible administration would tolerate.
He advised the individuals advocating for demonstrations to contemplate on their constitutional implications and be certain that their deeds do not result in chaos.
