Organizers of the October 1 nationwide protest against hardship in Nigeria have insisted that they would proceed with the planned protest on October 1 across the country.
It comes amid the kicks and appeals by the Bola Tinubu’s led administration and warning by the Nigeria Police Force to organisers of the protest not to go ahead with the plan.
However, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) Omoyele Sowore, who gave the update in a viral post on his X on Monday, said there was no going back.
Sowore, who is one of the key organizers of the planned protest, wrote “NO GOING BACK! #FearlessInOctober.”
Also in an interview session shared on his handle, Sowore noted that, “Between the last protest on August 1, just two months ago and now, petrol prices have risen by almost N300 per litre.
“The naira has further devalued, and prices have increased in the market. Floods are devastating our cities. Bandits have taken over and killed off entire communities.”
While given the nature of the protest, Sowore detailed that the peaceful protest will be held at Eagles Square in Abuja.
Similarly, the protest organizers in Lagos state said they plan to commence their march by 7:30 am at Ikeja under Bridge.
Giving reasons, one of the lawyers to the detained August 1 protesters, Deji Adeyanju, said yesterday that the fresh round of protest is on the heels of the federal government’s failure to address protesters’ earlier demands.
He noted that the government intentionally kept the issues aside, adding that President Tinubu’s promise to engage with protesters had not been fulfilled.
Reacting to the planned protest, the federal government yesterday warned the protesters to sheathe their swords and refrain from acts of violence.
Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation said Nigerians should remain calm as the country celebrates its 64th Independence anniversary and 25 years of unbroken democracy.
According to the Minister, “The government of President Bola Tinubu is committed to ensuring peace, unity and prosperity for all. It is also important for Nigerians to see opportunity in the various policies of the government, and use it for their betterment.”
“The government of President Bola Tinubu is committed to ensuring peace, unity and prosperity for all. It is also important for Nigerians to see opportunity in the various policies of the government, and use it for their betterment.”
Lagos CP meets protest organizers.
Meanwhile in Lagos State, the Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola, on Monday met with the protest organizers in his office at the state headquarters, Ikeja, and assured them that arrangements had been finalised with sister security agencies to provide maximum security for them and other Lagosians. He urged them to remain peaceful and law-abiding in all their actions.
CP Ishola also ordered the immediate deployment of human and operational resources across strategic locations in the state, charging the deployed officers to be professional, and civil but firm.
The protest organizers, on their part, gave assurances that they and their followers would be peaceful and law-abiding during the exercise.
Similarly, the Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has announced plans to mobilize Nigerians for a peaceful protest on October 1.
The group, through its Director of Public Communications, Hussaini Shuaibu, made this declaration in a statement released in Kaduna on Monday.
According to Shuaibu, the protest aims to hold the government accountable for the ongoing economic challenges facing the nation, particularly in northern Nigeria, where the impact has been most severe.
He stressed that the protest is grounded in the constitutional rights of Nigerian citizens, citing sections 38 to 42 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees free association, the expression of views, and the right to peaceful mobilization.
Some of the protesters’ demands include rejection of IMF neo-liberal policies; reversal of hike in fuel price and electricity tariff back to pre-May 29, 2023 levels, and making government-owned refineries work to guarantee affordable fuel products.
Others are reducing food prices, supporting farmers to ensure sustainable food production, ending insecurity, banditry, terrorism and violent crimes, prosecuting culprits and their sponsors.
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