Senate President Godswill Akpabio has accused candidates who lost in the 2023 presidential election of sponsoring a planned nationwide protest. Speaking at the State House in Abuja on Monday, following President Bola Tinubu’s signing of the new minimum wage bill into law, Akpabio named Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC) among those allegedly behind the protest.
The planned protest, scheduled for August 1 to August 10, is a response to the economic hardships caused by Tinubu’s administration’s policies. Akpabio suggested that the protest is an attempt by these election losers to reclaim power illegitimately. “People who probably do not have their fortunes in the 2023 election are thinking they can come through the back door, and that will amount to anarchy,” he said.
He warned protesters against damaging property, stating, “Any destruction of any property will cost Nigeria money. We don’t have the money. Instead, let’s put the money into developing you and developing your environs instead of going to rebuild.” Akpabio also raised concerns that some individuals might use the protest to loot and commit other crimes. “So I want to use this opportunity to call on those who are attempting to foment trouble; that you have a right to protest. It is your fundamental right. It is there in the constitution. But you don’t have a right to destabilise the country. The right to protest should not be turned into the right to unleash violence. It’s very clear that people who are behind this are very amorphous, very faceless. So what it means is that people are preparing to loot and go round and do all sorts of things,” he added.
Akpabio emphasized that the current economic hardship is not due to Tinubu’s administration but is a result of policies from past governments. “Where we are today was not caused by one year’s administration. It is the outcome of years of insecurity. Many people could not go to farms for almost 10 years, and know that, and the President has risen to the occasion. Every food item that is coming in now will come in without anything like a restaurant solution. There are no restrictions; bring in food because Nigerians need to eat. And then at the same time, most things are coming in with a lot of waivers,” he said.
In closing, Akpabio urged Nigerian youth not to be misled by political groups. “So for me, I’m excited that, yes, indeed, the government is doing what it should. And we, the leaders in the National Assembly, are touching our various constituencies. So my appeal to the Nigerian youth is, do not allow any group to mislead you politically,” he concluded.
