A war of words has erupted between the Nigerian Presidency and the Labour Party (LP) over allegations that its presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, is sponsoring the planned “EndBadGovernance” protests against economic hardship in the country.
Yesterday, through presidential aide Mr Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency accused Obi supporters of plotting the anti-government protest, a claim the Labour Party vehemently denied.
LP, however, declared that Nigerians have the constitutional right to express their discontent with the government’s handling of the economy.
The exchange has heightened tensions in an already charged political climate.
Onanuga took a swipe at Obi supporters, claiming that they were the brains behind the planned nationwide anti-hunger protests on August 1.
Onanunga, the president’s special adviser on information and strategy, alleged that Obi’s supporters were planning mayhem in Nigeria; hence, the LP former presidential candidate should be held responsible for the aftermath.
LEADERSHIP Sunday reports that some faceless youths and groups are planning nationwide protests over the state of the nation from August 1, using viral hashtags and promotional flyers on social media.
However, in a lengthy post on his X handle (formerly Twitter) yesterday morning, the top Tinubu’s aide claimed that the organisers of the anti-government protests were the same people who infiltrated the #EndSARS Movement in 2020 to cause mayhem across the country, acting on the instigation of the now detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
Onanuga wrote, “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.
“The protest planners are also the same people who IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu instigated to launch the destructive EenSARS protest in Nigeria in October 2020. EenSARS began as a genuine protest by youths against the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad, notorious for its high-handedness. IPOB members planning to extricate the South East region from Nigeria infiltrated the protest and hijacked it for their agenda. Lagos still bears the scar of the malicious destruction by IPOB elements until today,” he said.
In its reaction, Labour Party said the Nigerians have the right to protest, adding that the party and Obi were not involved in the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest.
According to the LP, “its attention has been drawn to a tweet purportedly from one of the presidential aides, Mr Bayo Onanuga, linking the Labour Party, its national leader Peter Obi, and many notable figures in the party to the proposed ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest.”
The party’s national publicity secretary, Obiora Ifoh, said the statement that they are organizing the protest is untrue, adding that the tweet is just the author’s figment of his imagination.
“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,” the statement said.
The party, however, said that peaceful protests worldwide are initiated and executed by the people, not by the opposition.
“No opposition has any control over protests. Popular protests in Kenya, Egypt, and several other places were a direct registration of the people’s frustration with the government.
“The people have the right to protest, and it is within their constitutional right,” the Labour Party said.
“It is therefore puerile for the government or anyone for that matter to begin to look for who to blame for the bad governance that is being witnessed in Nigeria today,” the party said, insisting that 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,” LP added.
