August 1 Protest: Too Early, May Be Hijacked Like EndSARS – Uzodinma

The Chairman of the Southeast Governors Forum and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma on Wednesday said it is too early for Nigerians to embark on a nationwide strike against President Bola Tinubu.

Uzodinma warned that the nationwide protest might be hijacked like that of EndSARS because the timing is wrong.

He spoke while addressing State House correspondents after meeting with President Tinubu alongside former senate president, Pius Anyim and his Ebonyi State counterpart Francis Nwifuru at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

According to Uzodinma: “Democracy is about the opinion of the people and the protest is allowed in a democratic setting. Every protest must be reasonably conceived to be able to make political sense.

“I think it’s too early at this time in the life of this government for anybody to come out to say he wants to protest. First of all, there have not been any engagements where those who are sponsoring the protest were able to tell us the reasons for the protests.

“Secondly, given the global situation today and the insecurity in the country, we have a very fragile political environment that if not managed and protected very well, may collapse the entire country.

“So those who are going to protest; what is the reason for the protests? And if they have no reason for the protests, I think I’ll advise well-meaning Nigerians, citizens of this country who are making sacrifices, some of us have paid the supreme price for the existence of this country, we should guide our country very jealously.

“I think it is wrong time for anybody to do any protests, because the implication of doing that if care is not taken, is that it may be hijacked. Like the ENDSARS experience, where criminals now hijacked an innocently conceived agitation by young Nigerians.

“So this is another kind of temptation that I think those behind the protests have not been able to come out openly to say they’re behind it.”