By Omeiza Ajayi & Favour Ulebor

States Chairmen of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, have declared their resolve to mobilize members of the party across the Wards, local councils, and states to organize nationwide solidarity rallies for President Bola Tinubu for the next two weeks starting from July 29 to August 11.

Promoters of the #EndBadGovernance protests had earlier announced plans to commence a nationwide protests from August 1 to August 10, with a caveat that if things did not change for the better they would continue with the protests against the Tinubu administration.

However, the Forum of APC States Chairmen urged those planning to protest against the president to shelve the idea as security reports have uncovered plans by some partisans to hijack the protests in a bid to topple the administration.

Declaring that protests are legitimate in a democracy, the forum said government would however not allow some persons who lost in the last general election to hijack the process to further their sinister objectives.

Speaking on behalf of the Forum, its Secretary and Chairman, APC Cross River State, Alphonsus Ogar Eba said, the protest will only worsen the current challenging socioeconomic situation of the country.

He said the forum has become fully aware through public utterances of some persons that the protest is more political than the economic concerns earlier expressed. 

The forum said; “It is therefore proper to bring to the knowledge of rightly guided patriotic Nigerians that the political undercurrents flowing from the planned protest appears to have redirected the initial focus of the planned protest from economic hardship to an unconstitutional change of government by some failed politicians. 

“While elections have since been concluded and all judicial disputes amicably resolved by the Supreme Court, the attempt by sore losers trying to use this planned protest to achieve their aim is stoutly condemned by us APC Chairmen and must be condemned by all Nigerians across political parties who fought so hard toward the attainment of the democracy we all enjoy today. 

“As the ruling party, we are prepared to meet every contestant in 2027 but we will not fold our arms and allow undemocratic forces to topple the Government we worked so hard to elect into office. That will be a disservice to the good people of Nigeria who freely gave us this mandate. 

“Protest is a constitutional right when done through the rule of law. However, security reports have shown that it is counterproductive to embark on this protest this time as there are sinister arrangements by some unpatriotic persons to hijack the protest for the sole purpose of unleashing nefarious agenda to perpetrate violence and indulge in high level criminality reminiscent of the 2020 #EndSARS protests and the recent experience in Kenya.

Two-week counter rallies

“Against this background, in the next two weeks commencing from today 29th July to 11th August 2024 and from this press briefing, we shall follow with a solidarity rally by all structures of our party across all political wards, LGAs and States capital including Abuja, FCT.

“We shall embark on peaceful rallies to reecho the laudable projects and the programmes of President Tinubu with greater vigour to protect and defend our democracy from any attack by hoodlums or some criminal elements who want to carry out violent protest. 

“All our party men and concerned Nigerians in other political parties, are enjoined to stand firm in protection of Democracy. It should be noted that violent protests being contemplated by the faceless group as contained in their charter of demands will annihilate the democratic ideals which all political parties subscribe to. This is unacceptable and we must resist it in the most civil manner by sensitizing innocent and peace loving people of our country about the plans of failed politicians who want to get power through every illegitimate means by inciting ignorant Nigerians to embark on violent protest. 

“We call on all security Agencies to please stand by their Oath to protect lives and property. We humbly urge them to be proactive rather than being reactionary. With God on our side, our country shall overcome.”

The forum commended the patience and tolerance of Nigerians in the past one year, and said it aligns with traditional, religious and political who have continued to appeal to the people to give the president more time to implement his Renewed Hope Agenda.