APC, opposition trade words over Niger, Kano protests

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused opposition parties in the country of instigating protests to undermine President Bola Tinubu’s administration, cause strife and instability in the land.  But the opposition parties have asked the ruling party to stop playing politics with the livelihood of millions of Nigerians and instead find ways to address […]

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused opposition parties in the country of instigating protests to undermine President Bola Tinubu’s administration, cause strife and instability in the land. 

But the opposition parties have asked the ruling party to stop playing politics with the livelihood of millions of Nigerians and instead find ways to address the real issues that have consistently increased the cost of living. 

Recall that protests broke out on Monday in Minna, the Niger State capital, over the rising cost of living. 

A few days earlier, some women in Kano had also protested against the rising cost of flour, the main ingredient for the production of Gurasa, a local delicacy. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, had, after meeting with the business community in the state, said that he would meet with President Bola Tinubu over the economic hardship being experienced by Nigerians. 

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But reacting, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, in a statement on Tuesday said it is “arrant desperation” to portray the APC-led administration as under-performing, and urged Nigerians to shun the “guile and unpatriotic attempt by opposition elements to destabilise the country for their own base and parochial political gains.” 

He said “The protests in Minna and Kano on Monday were the manifestation of this devious and unpatriotic plot. That the protests happened simultaneously in both cities is not coincidental. It bears the bold stamp of an orchestrated and coordinated effort to instigate unrest and undermine the government. This mercenary opposition tactic is a clear and present threat to public peace and national security. 

“While we recognise the right of citizens to engage in peaceful protest, we urge our good people to be vigilant and not lend themselves to the treacherous attempt by the opposition to promote social strife through its incendiary rhetoric and manipulative plots.” 

He added that the APC-led federal government was committed to “Doing everything in its power to mitigate the transient pains of critically important reforms that are crucial to economic recovery and sustainable prosperity for all Nigerians,” urging the citizens to be patient with the process. 

But speaking to the Daily Trust on the matter, Obiora Ifoh, National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), said that opposition parties did not orchestrate the protests, but that the failure of the APC-led administration had turned virtually all Nigerians into opposition. 

“The APC is playing politics with the lives of millions of Nigerians who are suffering from hunger. Some have even gone into depression. Many have committed suicide. The message out there, which the people from Kano, Oshogbo, Minna have sent, is a testament that this government has failed in providing coordination,” Ifoh said.

He said that it is not only the political parties or the opposition, but also members of the public who also attend the market, who feel things have escalated in the last month.

He added that the government had promised after taking over that things would work better, but nine months later, things had degenerated. 

“It is not about the opposition. It is about Nigeria. I would like to note that every Nigerian has gone into opposition because every Nigerian is suffering the brunt of hunger,” Ifoh said.

On its part, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), through its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, told the Daily Trust that the stand of the ruling party is an embarrassment to Nigerians. 

He said, “I am embarrassed by the stand of the ruling party and the government about the protest by Nigerians about the hardship in the country. This is a clear admission of failure and an insult to Nigerians for the ruling party to look at Nigerians in the face during this suffering, anguish and lack, penury, biting insecurity and despair in the land for them to say other political parties are sponsoring Nigerians to protest. 

“For APC not to accept the truth that Nigerians are suffering from lack and poverty is a failure on their part and many Nigerians that voted for them are now regretting.”