Secondus Fumes, Says President Tinubu Cannot Stop Planned Protest

By Akinwale Kasali

Uche Secondus, a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has told President Bola Tinubu to allow Nigerians express their feelings about his government, as they have the right to exercise their rights.

Secondus stated that the President lacks the moral authority to stop the planned #EndBadGovernance in Nigeria protest because he is the biggest beneficiary of protests.

In a statement signed by his Special Adviser (Media), Ike Abonyi, in Abuja, on Tuesday, Secondus stated that he recalled that Tinubu, while in opposition, was a notable arrowhead in anti-government protests and wondered why he should be selfish on it this time.

He noted that citizens have a civic duty to save our dear country from collapse in the face of an unprecedented economic crisis and insecurity occasioned by perennial bad governance by all tiers of successive governments.

He further argued that the state of anomie in which we find ourselves today has incrementally worsened because the citizens failed in their duty to hold governments at all levels to account.

Secondus asserted that this has been the case because political leaders often use partisan, ethnic, and religious sentiments to either discourage protests when they are in government or encourage them when they are in opposition.

According to the former PDP helmsman, the planned #EndBadGovernanceProtest “is a non-partisan pan-Nigerian and altruistic engagement of the citizens aimed at addressing the malaise in our country.

“This protest should not be discouraged. Protests remain the most potent democratic platform through which the consciousness of nations can be aroused, and indeed, the consciousness of the leadership elite can be nudged and compelled to act rightly in the interest of citizens”.

He contended that the injunction in the Holy Bible, which says, “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” applies to our situation as Nigerians.

“In essence, this is not the time to sweep issues under the carpet; it is the time to speak truth to power and awaken our collective conscience so that we can work together to build a better society.

He, therefore, called on all protesters to be organised and peaceful and shun all acts of violence. Also, governments at all levels and security agencies should provide the necessary security environment to ensure peace and order by international law and the Nigerian Constitution.