- The Labour Party criticized presidential aide Bayo Onanuga’s tweet linking them to the ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest, calling the accusation baseless
- National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh emphasized that the Labour Party is peaceful and not planning any protests, urging respect for citizens’ rights
The Labour Party (LP) leadership has criticized Presidential aide Mr. Bayo Onanuga for his recent tweet linking the LP, its national leader Peter Obi, and notable figures in the party to the proposed ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest. Obiora Ifoh, the LP’s National Publicity Secretary, responded on Saturday, calling the accusation baseless and a figment of Onanuga’s imagination.
“Labour Party is known for being a very peaceful party, and it has on several occasions asked its followers to follow peace at all times. We are not known as a lawless group, as was evident in the aftermath of the last general election. It is, therefore, delusional for anyone to link our supporters to the planned protest. Labour Party, Peter Obi, and our supporters are not planning any protests,” Ifoh asserted.
Ifoh emphasized that peaceful protests are a global phenomenon initiated by the people, not the opposition. He cited examples from Kenya, Egypt, and other countries, stating that protests reflect public frustration with government actions. He affirmed that Nigerians have the constitutional right to protest and that it is unreasonable to blame the opposition for the current governance issues in Nigeria.
“It is therefore puerile for the government or anyone to begin to look for who to blame for the bad governance that is being witnessed in Nigeria today. Nigeria can still get it right if the right policies are initiated. We also advise that some aides of the presidency must be cautioned to avoid incendiary pronouncements capable of combusting the nation, all in the name of playing politics,” Ifoh added.