The All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the opposition parties of “treacherously” fueling protests in some parts of the country to undermine the Federal Government.
It claimed that in its desperation to portray the APC-led administration as under-performing, the opposition parties have resorted to instigating unsuspecting young people to protests in the streets of some major cities.
APC, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, urged Nigerians to be vigilant and not lend themselves to the treacherous attempt by the opposition to promote social strife by its incendiary rhetoric and manipulative plots.
The statement read: “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 a 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 recognize 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 by its incendiary rhetoric and manipulative plots.
“The President Bola Tinubu-led administration is solidly 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. It behoves us as good citizens of our beloved country to stand fast with our government in this noble stride.
“In due time, these policy reforms will yield enduring beneficial transformation of the material conditions of life in the country. We implore Nigerians to shun the guile and unpatriotic attempt by opposition elements to destabilise the country for their own base and parochial political gains.”
In separate reactions, the two leading opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), told the ruling party to refrain from buck passing and deliver democracy dividends to Nigerians.
The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, berated President Bola Tinubu and the APC for allegedly politicising the protest by Nigerians over economic hardship and worsening insecurity.
It accused the government and the ruling party of threatening Nigerians for exercising their right to peaceful protest over economic and security challenges allegedly caused by the policies of the President Tinubu administration.
The PDP noted that it was an assault to the sensibility of the people that the APC rather than provide explanations on how the administration within nine months turned the nation’s economy upside down leading to terrifying food scarcity and catastrophic high cost of living is seeking to clampdown on the masses.
“The action of the APC in threatening Nigerians for exercising their democratic and Constitutional right to protest in the face of misrule, agonising poverty, hunger, killings and other harrowing experiences under the Tinubu administration shows that the APC is insensitive and relishes the life-discounting situation in the country.
