Public affairs analyst and former senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, says he will not participate in the August 1 planned protest, stating that organisers are faceless with no clear leadership direction.
Speaking with newsmen in Kaduna on Thursday, Sani stressed the importance of peaceful protest with visible leadership to avoid metamorphosing into violence that is capable of destabilising the country.
The ex-lawmaker, therefore, called for peaceful protests with clear leadership, citing his own experiences while participating in protests with visible leaders such as President Bola Tinubu, former President Muhammad Buhari, and late Balarabe Musa, among others, during the military days and the 2012 anti-subsidy protest.
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According to him, Nigeria is a democratic nation where people can express opinions, criticize the government, and protest peacefully.
He said protests without leaders could lead to chaos and anarchy, citing the events that happened in Kenya and Sudan, which led to the breakdown of law and order and the decimation of the security forces.
Sani also commended the Kaduna state government’s stance on protests, stating that they would only support protests with identified leaders who could take responsibility in case of a breakdown of law and order in the country.
He said, “It is important that we bring back our conscience to the fact that Nigeria is a democracy. People have the right to express their opinions, criticise the government and protest peacefully.
“I have been a protester all my life and President Bola Tinubu has also been a protester, but we were peaceful protesters that demanded justice, freedom and people’s friendly policies.
“Now, the problem we are having now is that there are issues that we need to address. A protest needs two things: firstly, it’s a purpose. Of course, its purpose is to show that people are suffering in the country.
“But also, a protest needs a visible leader. When a protest has no leader, the tendency of that protest to metamorphose into violence is apparent,” he said.
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