A senior aide to President Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, has accused supporters of the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, of planning nationwide protests aimed at destabilizing the country, urging them to wait till 2027 to effect a change in government.
Onanuga claimed that the proposed protests are being organized by the same individuals who were behind the destructive ENDSARS protest in 2020, which was hijacked by IPOB members.
In a post on his X handle, Onanuga wrote: “REVEALED: Peter Obi’s supporters are the people planning mayhem in Nigeria: Obi should be held responsible for anarchy… 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.”
Onanuga alleged that the protest planners are also the same people who were instigated by IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu to launch the destructive ENDSARS protest in 2020. He claimed that they are not democrats but anarchists who are attempting to destabilize Nigeria by staging a civilian coup against President Tinubu.
Onanuga also accused the protesters of being supporters of certificate forgery and treason, citing their hashtags “EndBadGovernance”, “Tinubu Must Go,” and “Revolution2024” as evidence of their intentions.
He urged security agents to interrogate the protest organizers and warned Nigerians against joining the protests, citing the government’s efforts to address the cost of living crisis and improve the economy.
He further stated, “Security agents should, by now, begin to interrogate these agents of destabilisation. There is no country in the world where people are not going through some economic challenges and where the cost of living is not a major issue. No country is immune from economic turbulence at the moment. Civilised and democratic people wait for another election to make leadership changes. They don’t trigger mayhem in their countries by staging protests, the end of which nobody can predict.
“Nigerian citizens must consider the government’s attitude and concern about the cost of living crisis when deciding whether to join the protests by the Labour Party and IPOB supporters.
“The Tinubu government has not been found wanting in this regard. The minimum wage has been increased by more than 100 percent. Loans are being disbursed to students in tertiary schools. A credit corporation has been launched to promote consumption credit. Palliatives, including the latest distribution of 740 trucks of rice to the 36 states and Abuja, are being rolled out. Businesses, such as pharmaceuticals, are being assisted. The Federal and state governments are investing heavily in agriculture to produce more food.
“The economy is improving, inflation is slowing, the national debt has been reduced in dollar terms, and the FIRS has increased revenue generation to record levels. Investors are coming back to our country. Our stock market is the best in the world, with a 33 percent return on investment.
“President Tinubu has a four-year mandate to run his agenda. Those calling for protest should wait till 2027 to either re-elect him or elect their Messiah, Mr Peter Obi.”
