The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, is mobilizing Abuja youths and other stakeholders against joining the proposed August 1 to 10 nationwide protests over hunger and hardship.
Wike, who was speaking during a ministerial engagement with FCT youths from Abuja South Federal Constituency in Kwali Area Council of the FCT on Sunday, also said that youths and other stakeholders in Bwari and Gwagwalada Area Councils would as well be engaged on the same issue in the coming days.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, a similar interaction was held with stakeholders in Abuja Municipal Area Council, in Abuja on Saturday.
Wike pointed out that the interaction was to enlighten them on the ills of protest and why they should not be part of it.
The Minister appreciated the traditional rulers and the area council chairmen for mobilizing FCT youths for the interaction to enlighten them against joining a protest they do not have a stake in.
“There is no need for the protest. The current administration is barely one year in office and not enough to assess its performance.
“You can’t judge leadership within one year. I have not been in office for up to a year, but I have done so much that should be appreciated and convince people that FCT is working,” he said.
According to him, so much has been achieved in education, health and other sectors, particularly security.
He urged residents to commend and encourage the security agencies to do more, adding that it would be unfair not to do so.
“It is not fair to say we have not done anything on insecurity when we have improved security in FCT,” he said.
He said that in view of the current development in the FCT, what was desired was peace and not protest.
“We want peace in FCT and so, we cannot fold our hands and allow it to be destroyed in the guise of protest,” Wike said.
Hardship: Wike mobilizes youths, other stakeholders against joining protest
Hardship: Wike mobilizes youths, other stakeholders against joining protest
Hardship: Resort to prayer not protest – Nasarawa Assembly Speaker urges Nigerians
Nigerians have been urged to reconsider their planned 10-day nationwide protest and allow the government more time to address the country’s numerous challenges.
He said the citizens should rather resort to prayers than take to the streets.
This appeal was made by Mr. Danladi Jatau, Speaker of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly (NSHA), who advocated the need for dialogue and patience to achieve amicable resolutions and workable solutions.
Jatau, representing Kokona West Constituency, argued that the government needs more time to implement policies and programs aimed at improving Nigerians’ standard of living.
“The problems are surmountable with both short and long-term measures,” he stated, calling for patience from the public.
“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and our own Governor of Nasarawa State, Engineer A. A. Sule are actively rolling out various intervention programs to address hunger and hardship in the land,” Jatau said.
He urged citizens to support the government and resort to prayer instead of protest.
“Prayer is key and a solution to every problem, and every leader needs the prayers and support of their people to succeed,” he said.
Jatau also called for calm, particularly among the youth, urging them not to take the law into their own hands.
He appealed to security agencies to ensure the protection of lives and property, maintaining peace in the country.
“I advise stakeholders—political, religious, and traditional—to join hands with the government to address the challenges facing the country,” Jatau added.
He stated the importance of shunning the planned hunger protest scheduled for August, considering its potential repercussions.
The Speaker assured the public of the Assembly’s commitment to passing laws and making resolutions that would improve the living standards of the people of Nasarawa State.
“The 7th Assembly, under my leadership, is ready to provide all necessary support to address the hardship and other challenges facing society. We will do what is humanly possible to improve the standard of living of our people,” Jatau promised.
The 10-day nationwide protest against hunger and hardship in the country, aimed at ending bad governance, had been scheduled to commence on August 1.
Protesters’ demands include reducing fuel, diesel, and gas prices, opening borders for free trade, identifying sponsors of insecurity, reducing school fees, hospital bills, and the salaries of public office holders, among others.
Hardship: Resort to prayer not protest – Nasarawa Assembly Speaker urges Nigerians
Only NNPCL can buy Dangote petrol – IPMAN
No oil marketer is going to buy Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and sell at the prevalent pump prices at filling stations in Nigeria except the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, operators in the downstream oil sector have declared.
On July 15, 2024, The According reported that the President of Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, announced that the $20bn refinery was set to roll out its petrol in August 2024, having resolved its crude oil supply issues through the help of NNPC and the Federal Government.
“Gasoline (petrol) production is to commence in July with sales from August. Annual revenue is projected to exceed $26bn,” Dangote had stated while delivering a presentation at the plant last month.
But oil marketers told our correspondent on Sunday that no dealer in Nigeria would be able to buy the petrol from the Dangote refinery, because the product would be priced at the international market rate, far higher than the domestic cost at the pumps.
When contacted and asked whether oil marketers had been briefed about the price of petrol from the Dangote refinery, the Deputy National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Zarma Mustapha, gave a negative reply.
He, however, stressed that PMS from the plant would be sold at the international market rate, adding that no marketer would want to pay such price currently.
“There has been no official communication from them yet on pricing for petrol. However, one thing I want you to understand is that even if the Dangote refinery starts to release products, particularly PMS, no marketer can be able to buy the product from him.
“This is because the refinery is an independent commercial entity and they must recoup their cost of refining and add some margin before they sell out the product. The current price of the product within the country is below the international price of a litre of PMS.
“So you cannot buy the product from the refinery at the international price and then sell it at the prevailing price at the retail outlets. If you do, you are going to lose a huge amount of money, which is a difference of between N400 and N500/litre,” Mustapha stated.
The IPMAN official, however, noted that for Nigeria to have Dangote petrol across its filling stations, the NNPC would have to intervene by purchasing the product and reselling it to dealers at discounted rates.
“NNPC may have to offtake the product, just like they are importing from other countries for upward supply to Nigerian marketers, I think only the national oil company can offtake PMS from them and know how best they can continue to supply it to marketers to sell at the approved current price.
“If it is not done this way, no marketer will be able to buy the product and sell it at a loss of over N400 to N500/litre. It is not possible” Mustapha stated.
On July 18, 2024, The According reported that the landing cost of petrol was N1,117/litre as of July 16, 2024, according to data released by the Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria. MEMAN disclosed this during a webinar with journalists.
The association had also revealed that the landing cost of diesel was N1,157/litre, while that of aviation fuel was N1,127/litre, at the time.
The N1,117 landing cost of petrol is far above the pump price of the product in Nigeria. Currently, the pump price of petrol is between N660/litre and N800/litre, depending on the area of purchase.
When contacted and asked whether major marketers would be able to buy petrol from the Dangote refinery, the Executive Secretary, MEMAN, Clement Isong, said his group had earlier published the landing cost of PMS, adding that this was the realistic cost of the product.
“You have seen the price we published which is the realistic cost, and you know the cost at the pumps today, and Dangote refinery is a business entity that will not want to make losses. So that is all I will say,” he stated.
NNPC is currently the sole importer of petrol into Nigeria. Other marketers stopped importing the product due to their inability to access the United States dollar required for PMS imports. NNPC had yet to respond to enquiries on the matter when contacted, up till when this report was filed.
Politicians’ behind banditry, killings in Benue – Gov Alia alleges
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia has accused politicians of being behind the armed banditry and killings in the state.
Alia made the allegation on Sunday after attending a thanksgiving service organised at the Chapel of Grace, Government House, Makurdi, lamenting that the bandits were homegrown and had taken up arms to kill their own.
In recent times, there have been consistent attacks and killings at the Sankera axis of the state, comprising Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo Local Government Areas.
The Governor was reacting to the recent attacks, which initially claimed six lives in Ukum LGA and triggered a violent protest and another cold-blooded murder of 18 in Katsina-Ala LGA, as well as the viral video of bandits threatening to kill more in that axis and the move by his government to end the bloodletting.
He said, “I used that in the sense that we are talking about the composition of every frame and form of insecurity that has come up on the people of Ukum LGA.
“During my campaign, I told every faceless person in the three Senatorial zones who were creating instability in the state to sheathe their swords and that the new government was coming in to liberate them, to get them out of the bushes and stop them from killing their siblings. And that is what we have been trying to do.
“Unfortunately when the political wing of it comes into the fray, it kind of complicates what had been there. For many years there had been skirmishes of instability in the Ukum area.
“And what pains me most is that the instability is never created by the invaders, it is not from the outsiders. It is the homegrown bandits who come out there to kill their fathers and mothers and their brothers and sisters, stopping them from going to the farm,” he said.
Politicians’ behind banditry, killings in Benue – Gov Alia alleges
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro wins third term
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro won re-election with 51.2 percent of votes cast Sunday, the electoral council announced, after a campaign tainted by claims of opposition intimidation and fears of fraud.
The President of the CNE electoral body, Elvis Amoroso, in its majority loyal to the government, told reporters 44.2 percent of votes had gone to opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia.
Independent polls had predicted Sunday’s vote would bring an end to 25 years of “Chavismo”, the populist movement founded by Maduro’s socialist predecessor and mentor, the late Hugo Chavez.
Maduro, 61, addressed supporters minutes after the announcement, saying: “There will be peace, stability and justice.”
As his supporters celebrated, downcast opposition voters waited to hear from Gonzalez Urrutia and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken immediately expressed “serious concerns” that the result did not reflect the will of Venezuelan voters.
Since 2013, Maduro has been at the helm of the once-wealthy petro-state where GDP dropped by 80 percent in a decade, pushing more than seven million of its 30 million citizens to emigrate.
He is accused of locking up critics and harassing the opposition in a climate of rising authoritarianism.
Gonzalez Urrutia had replaced popular Machado on the ticket after authorities loyal to Maduro excluded her from the race.
Machado, who campaigned far and wide for her proxy, had urged voters on Sunday to keep “vigil” at their polling stations in the “decisive hours” of counting amid widespread fears of fraud.
Maduro had previously warned of a “bloodbath” if he loses.
– ‘Prepared to defend’ –
Rejecting opinion polls, the government relied on its own numbers to assert Maduro would defeat Gonzalez Urrutia, a little-known 74-year-old former diplomat.
Maduro counts on a loyal electoral apparatus, military leadership, and state institutions in a system of well-established political patronage.
On Friday, a Venezuelan NGO said Caracas was holding 305 “political prisoners” and had arrested 135 people with links to the opposition campaign since January.
Gonzalez Urrutia had said the opposition was “prepared to defend” the vote and trusted “our armed forces to respect the decision of our people.”
He added there had been a “massive” voter turnout.
Ballots were cast on machines that print out paper receipts placed into a container. The electronic votes go directly to a centralized CNE database.
The opposition had deployed about 90,000 volunteer election monitors to polling stations countrywide.
– Watching ‘very closely’ –
Sunday’s election is the product of a mediated deal reached last year between the government and the opposition.
The agreement to hold the vote led the United States to temporarily ease sanctions imposed after Maduro’s 2018 reelection, which was rejected as a sham by dozens of Western and Latin American countries.
However, the sanctions were snapped back after Maduro reneged on agreed conditions.
Washington is keen for a return to stability in Venezuela — an ally of Cuba, Russia and China that boasts the world’s largest oil reserves but severely diminished production capacity.
Economic misery in the South American nation has been a major source of migration pressure on the US southern border.
Most Venezuelans live on just a few dollars a month, with the country’s health care and education systems in disrepair and the population enduring biting shortages of electricity and fuel.
The government blames sanctions, but observers also point the finger at corruption and government inefficiency.
Machado said earlier Sunday that if Maduro “grabs power,” another “three, four, five million” Venezuelans will likely join the exodus.
“What’s at stake here goes beyond our borders, beyond Venezuela,” she said.
Concerns over the fairness of the vote were further stoked when Caracas blocked several international observers, including four Latin American ex-presidents, at the last minute.
The foreign ministers of seven Latin American nations called Sunday for the electoral process to “fully respect the popular will” of the Venezuelan people.
About 21 million Venezuelans are registered as voters, but only an estimated 17 million still in the country are eligible to cast ballots.
AFP
Protest: Respect rights of citizens – Rescue Movement tells Tinubu
A group under the aegis of the Rescue Movement for New Nigeria has advised President Bola Tinubu to respect the rights of citizens to peaceful protest.
The National Media Director and Publicity of the group, Rev. Emmanuel Olorunmagba, gave this advice on Sunday.
Olorunmagba stated that at an emergency meeting of the Board of Trustees of Rescue Movement for New Nigeria, aka Rescue the Vulnerable Initiative, the group resolved to critically dissect the ongoing rift between the government and the Nigerian citizens, particularly the youths that are planning a peaceful nationwide protest and resolved as follows:
“That as the government of Nigeria continues to grapple with the challenges facing our great nation, varying from hunger in the land, to highest unemployment the citizens of the country has ever experienced, insecurity ravaging the length and breadth of the nation, kidnapping like the nation has ever known, currency free fall in world market amongst others; we urge the authorities to prioritize addressing the pressing needs of the people rather than trying every means to suppress their fundamental rights to protest and express themselves.
“That in a democratic setting like ours, the right to peaceful assembly and free speech is sacrosanct. However, recent events have shown a disturbing trend of intimidation, harassment, and seemingly suppression rights, especially from agencies of government.”
The group called on the government to listen to the grievances of the people and address them through tangible actions.
Protest: Respect rights of citizens – Rescue Movement tells Tinubu
NiMet forecasts 3-day thunderstorms, rains from Monday
The Nigerian Meteorological Agency, NiMet, has predicted thundery and rainy weather conditions from Monday to Wednesday across the country.
NiMet`s weather outlook released on Sunday in Abuja forecast morning thunderstorms on Monday over parts of Kebbi, Katsina, Borno, Bauchi and Taraba States.
The agency envisaged thunderstorms over parts of Zamfara, Taraba, Bauchi, and Kebbi states later in the day.
It also expected moderate rains over parts of Nassarwa, Benue, the Federal Capital Territory and Niger during the morning periods.
In the afternoon and evening hours, the agency anticipated moderate thunderstorms with light rains over parts of Niger, the Federal Capital Territory, Nassarawa, Kogi and Plateau States.
It added that rains are expected over parts of Cross River and Akwa Ibom in the morning hours.
According to the agency, later in the day, light to moderate rains are expected over parts of Ebonyi, Imo, Abia, Anambra, Oyo, Ogun, Cross River, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Delta.
NiMet further said that morning thunderstorms are expected over parts of Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara on Tuesday.
It forecast thunderstorms over parts of Bauchi, Taraba, Zamfara and Kebbi in the afternoon, and or evening hours and anticipated moderate rains over parts of Niger and Kwara States during the morning hours.
The agency said, later in the day, moderate thunderstorms with rains are anticipated over parts of Plateau, Nassarawa, Benue and Kogi while cloudy skies should prevail over the southern region during the morning hours.
In the afternoon and or evening hours, it said that intermittent rains are expected over parts of Ebonyi, Abia, Cross River and Akwa Ibom.
The agency envisaged thunderstorms over parts of Sokoto, Borno, Katsina, and Kebbi during the morning hours on Wednesday.
Also, it expected thunderstorms over parts of Taraba, Kano, Kaduna and Zamfara later in the day with cloudy conditions over the North central city during the morning hours.
It anticipated thunderstorms over the entire region as the day progressed with cloudy skies to prevail over the southern region within the morning periods.
In the afternoon and or evening hours, moderate rains are envisaged over the entire region, strong winds may precede the rains in areas where thunderstorms are likely to occur.
It stated that there is a high likelihood of urban flooding in major cities due to heavy downpours.
It therefore advised residents to avoid flood-prone areas, adding that they should heed to safety advisories issued by relevant authorities.
The agency also urged the public and Airline operators to get updated weather reports and forecasts from NiMet for effective planning in their operations.
NiMet forecasts 3-day thunderstorms, rains from Monday
Hardship: Tension heightens as organizers insist on nationwide protest
Tension is rising across the country as organizers of the nationwide protests scheduled for August 1 to 10 have vowed not to back down.
TVN reports that some Nigerians, who are irked by the prevailing economic situation ravaging the nation, vowed to stage mass protests in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, next month.
The demonstration, according to the organizers, is aimed at drawing the attention of the governments at various levels to the hardship bedeviling the citizens.
The agenda is also to possibly persuade the current administration into reversing some policies that birthed the current economic reality.
This has triggered tension across the country with some government officials, business owners, security agencies fidgeting over possible attacks on them.
Hardship
TVN reports that the nation has been clouded in the plague of hunger since President Bola Tinubu announced the end of fuel subsidy era in 2023.
On Wednesday, the National Bureau of Statistics disclosed in its June report that prices of some food items skyrocketed as high as 250 percent recently.
According to the data obtained by TVN, one kilogram of white Garri (sold loose) went up by 181.66 percent on a year-on-year basis from N 403.15 in June 2023 to N1,135.51 in June 2024, while there was an increase of 1.86 percent on a month-on-month basis.
Also, the price of 1kg of beans brown (sold loose) stood at N2,292.76 indicating a rise of 252.13 percent from N651.12 recorded in June 2023.
Similarly, 1kg of Yam tuber increased by 295.79 percent on a year-on-year basis from N510.77 in June 2023 to N 2,021.55 in May 2024.
The report added that there was also a notable price increase of Irish potato by 288.5 percent on a year-on-year basis from N623.75 in June 2023 to N2,423.27 in June 2024.
According to the organizers of the looming protest, the inability of Nigerians to afford the food items and other basic needs is what stimulated the move for the ten days nationwide protests titled the “Days Of Rage”.
Security concerns
There are concerns that the proposed protest may worsen the security crisis already facing the nation.
The Nigeria Police Force, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters and the Department of State Services have all raised the alarm that the planned protest may result in anarchy.
TVN recalls that the Defence Headquarters on Thursday warned that the planned protest has the potential of degenerating into anarchy and a reign of terror.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, who spoke while briefing journalists in Abuja, said that there were signs of status-related violence such that persons with things as basic as smartphones and cars were targets, not leaving out those who own houses and shops.
Similarly, the Nigeria Police Force issued a cautionary alert, citing credible intelligence about potential manipulation by foreign mercenaries and the involvement of malicious groups aiming to disrupt public order.
Olukayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police IGP, expressed concerns about the involvement of external actors in the protests, emphasizing the need for Nigerians to exercise caution before joining any protest groups.
In the same vein, the Department of State Services, DSS warned the organisers of the protests against proceeding with their plans.
The service alerted the general public that it uncovered a plan by some criminal elements to hijack the protest and cause unrest in the country.
DSS, in a statement by its spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, described the motive behind the protest as political
He claimed that plotters of the protest intended to use the violent outcome of the demonstration to smear the federal and sub-national governments.
Organizers vow not to back down
Despite the warnings, cautions and concerns raised from different quarters, the organizers of the proposed protest said there is no going back.
A former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore, who is one of the key organizers, told TVN on Saturday that the protest will hold as scheduled.
In a chat with TVN correspondent, the popular Nigerian activist said the organizers are even under pressure to start the #EndBadGovernmnetInNigerja protest earlier than the scheduled date.
He said, “The #EndBadGovernmnetInNigerja #DaysOfRage will take place on August 1st 2024 as scheduled; Organizers are under pressure to start earlier”.
Asked if he would be physically present during the protest, Sowore who as of the time of this report is in the United States, said “the revolt will occur globally; yes, I will participate fully”.
On the controversy surrounding the inclusion of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, in the 15 key demands recently reeled out by the organizers, Sowore said demanding Kanu’s release “is the right thing to do”.
He said, “We understand that as an ethnically, culturally and religiously diverse country, some may find the inclusion of free Nnamdi Kanu a bit challenging but it is the right thing to do to address the monumental injustices intertwined in the legally tangled conundrum the federal government has found itself in sustaining Kanu’s unjust incarceration.
“When Free Elzakyaky was included in 2019, some people frowned at it but today, he is a free man and the heavens did not fall”.
Stakeholders beg organizers to shelve protest, embrace dialogue
Politicians, groups, organizations, business owners and other stakeholders have continued to call for dialogue in place of the planned protest.
Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organization, Afenifere on Saturday told TVN that rather than embarking on a protest that may eventually lead to destruction of lives and properties, the organizers should engage in dialogue.
Comrade Jare Ajayi, Afenifere national publicity secretary, in a chat with our correspondent, said memories of the destruction that marred the 2020 EndSARS still remained fresh.
He said, “like we have said, the experience of what happened during the EndSARS in 2020 is still fresh in our minds. Scars of the protests can still be felt in various places.
“The nonpareil modern laboratory in Lagos that was destroyed then could not be replaced up till now. A laboratory that had nothing to do with what the protesters were venting their anger against.
“The destruction of the laboratory has meant that tests that could be routinely done in Lagos now have to be taken to the United States of America. Instances abound in other parts of the country.
“Since, dialogues would be employed to resolve conflicts, it’s better to engage in dialogues rather than allowing conflicts to degenerate into street protests that stand the chance of being hijacked by irate mobs.”
Planned protesta lack well-defined objective – Arewa Youths
The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, AYCF, says it won’t participate in the planned nationwide protests, saying the objective of the organizers is not well defined.
The President General of AYCF, Yerima Shettima told TVN on Saturday that though protest is a legitimate right of citizens, violence should not be an option.
He said, “The right to peacefully assemble and voice grievances is a fundamental right that is enshrined in the constitution of many countries, including Nigeria.
“However, the effectiveness and appropriateness of the protests that are being planned in Nigeria have sparked a debate on many issues.
“While protest is a legitimate and vital tool for citizens to gather and raise their voices in unity, it is essential that protests are conducted in a peaceful and organized manner.
“Violence and destruction during protests can have negative consequences, leading to harm to individuals and property and undermining the message that the protesters are trying to convey.
“It is crucial that protests are aimed at sparking dialogue, raising awareness, and enacting positive change, rather than inciting chaos and harm.
“It is essential that the North and other regions in Nigeria are advised against participating in protests that do not have well-defined objectives and may potentially lead to unrest and instability”.
Hardship: Tension heightens as organizers insist on nationwide protest
Hardship: Youth leader sacked in Niger for supporting protest
Abdullahi Isah, popularly known as Biodun, has been dismissed from his position as Youth Leader of Bosso (Wakilin Matasan Bosso) in Niger State’s Bosso Local Government Area.
His dismissal comes in response to his support for the upcoming #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria peaceful protest, scheduled to take place from August 1 to 10.
An official statement issued on July 28, 2024, by Alhaji Mu’azu Adamu Laka Bosso (Hakimin Bosso), the District Head of Bosso, announced Isah’s dismissal.
“I hereby write to inform you that you have been dismissed from your title as Youth Leader of Bosso (Wakilin Matasan Bosso) with immediate effect from 28/07/2024,” the letter reads.
The statement insisted that Isah should no longer identify himself as the Youth Leader of Bosso.
“You should no longer call yourself the Youth Leader of Bosso. I hope you will make use of this information given to you,” Laka Bosso added.
The decision to sack Isah comes amid growing discontent with the government’s management of economic issues, which many believe have led to increased poverty and hardship.
His support for the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest appears to have been the reason for his removal.
The #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria movement has gained significant traction, advocating for comprehensive reforms and relief measures to tackle the escalating cost of living.
Supporters argue that the government’s policies have exacerbated economic challenges for ordinary Nigerians.
The upcoming protests aim to voice these concerns and demand accountability from the government.
Hardship: Youth leader sacked in Niger for supporting protest
August 1 protest: Presidency cannot stop Nigerians – Tinubu’s aide, Ngelale
Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, has said nobody can stop the citizens from protesting.
Ngelale stated this during an interview on a TVC programme, Politics on Sunday with Femi Akande.
The spokesperson was addressing concerns about the Tinubu government’s stance on peaceful protests planned for August 1-10.
He insisted that the current administration does not want to “dominate” Nigerians.
Ngelale said, “Let me be clear: we are not in office to dominate our people; we are here to serve them”.
He insisted that no organ of the administration “has the authority” to prevent Nigerians from protesting.
“No one in our administration has the authority to deny Nigerians their right to peaceful protest,” Ngelale said.
He however acknowledged fears surrounding a potential hijack of the protests similar to the #EndSARS movement of 2020.
August 1 protest: Presidency cannot stop Nigerians – Tinubu’s aide, Ngelale