The pan-Yoruba socio-political and cultural organisation, Afenifere, has strongly condemned calls by some people in Nigeria, who they accused of hiding under the last hunger protest, to call for a military takeover of power in the country.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, the organisation asserted that the country’s democratic dispensation “should not be truncated for any reason.”
Afenifere’s rebuke followed calls by some people, who hid under the guise of the recently concluded protests, to call on the army to stage a coup and seize power in the country.
It should be noted that some people announced ten-day protests that lasted from August 1st to 10th.
The protests were peaceful in some states, while some sections of the country did not participate.
Afenifere noted that in some states, the protests became violent, leading to the destruction and looting of properties, while lives were reportedly lost in some areas.
It lamented that some so-called ‘protesters’ brazenly hoisted flags associated with Russia, even as some maintained that the logo on the flags was that of the Nigerian army.
“Whether the flags belonged to Russia or the army, the message is more or less the same – inciting the taking-over of government through an unconstitutional means, “the statement reads.
Afenifere added that since the protest was ostensibly to push for an end to hunger and sundry other deprivations in the land, “how come they look in the direction of either the military or a foreign power? It would be a height of self-delusion to assume that the intervention of either the military or a foreign power will automatically stop hunger in the land.”
The organisation noted that states in which the protests took a dimension that ran against the ‘peaceful nature’ that the instigators promised included Edo, Rivers, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Jigawa, Borno, Kano and Yobe.
It explained further that in some of the Northern States, not only were properties looted and destroyed, but bold calls for a coup rent the air.
Afenifere stated that while democracy might not give the country the best that the people desire and deserve, “it is still the best in our current situation because of its inherent characteristics of making the people the custodians of political mandate. Its elasticity allows various tendencies to operate—as long as they do so within the ambit of the law. This is a far cry from what is obtainable under a military government. So, let us give it a chance”.
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