Prof. Chris Nwokoba, convener of the Country First Movement, has called on President Bola Tinubu to rein in his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, following Onanuga’s allegations that Peter Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, is behind the planned #EndBadGovernance protest scheduled for August 1.
The don wondered the level of hate Onanuga has for the president, saying, “When I read through what Bayo Onanuga wrote, I wondered how much hate he has for Mr. President and not love.”
Nwokoba, who spoke during an appearance on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Tuesday, also dismissed these claims as baseless and accused Onanuga of stoking the fires of conflict and anarchy.
‘False Allegations’ Against Peter Obi
Onanuga had alleged that Obi and his supporters are responsible for the planned protest with the hashtag #EndBadGovernance.
Onanuga wrote on his verified X handle, “Peter Obi’s supporters are the people planning mayhem in Nigeria: Obi should be held responsible for anarchy.
“Don’t be fooled: the malcontents planning to stage nationwide protests are supporters of Peter Obi, the failed presidential candidate of the Labour Party. And he should be held responsible for whatever crisis emanates from the action.
“The protest planners are also the same people who were instigated by IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu to launch the destructive ENDSARS protest in Nigeria in October 2020. ENDSARS began as a genuine protest by youths against the Police Special Anti-Robbery Squad, notorious for its high-handedness. IPOB members planning to extricate the South East region from Nigeria infiltrated the protest and hijacked it for their own agenda. Lagos still bears the scar of the malicious destruction by IPOB elements until today.
“Two years after ENDSARS, the IPOB and the gullible innocents joined the Labour Party in 2022 to support Peter Obi, a sympathiser of their cause. They are the people spreading the hashtags ‘EndBadGovernance’, ‘Tinubu Must Go,’ and ‘Revolution2024’.
“They are not democrats but anarchists. They are attempting to call out our people via propaganda because their Messiah, Peter Obi, failed to win the Presidency in the 2023 election. As bad losers, they don’t have the patience to wait for another election in 2027; they would rather destabilise Nigeria by staging a civilian coup against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“If they understand the meaning of their hashtags, they will realise they are clarion calls for treason. Wanting to end an elected government is high treason. Wanting revolution is a call for a coup d’etat, which is also high treason. I have been on the trail of one of the protest planners, who is nameless but claims to have an internet radio station, PTM100.88 Abuja. The anonymous person joined X in August 2022 and has 520 followers today, among whom are FS Yusuf, another rabid Obi supporter, and Professor Pat Utomi, a Labour Party chief and a guy on X who goes by the pseudonym Peter Obi’s First Son.
Also Read: #ENDSARS: Nigeria Loses N700bn to Protests, Unrest – LCCI
“PTM’s profile image has someone holding the inscription` Certificate Forger Not My President, ‘ with a photo of Peter Obi as an inset. Only Obi’s supporters will be talking about certificate forgery long after the Supreme Court dismissed the allegation.
“In the past 24 hours, this faceless X user has been whipping up the gullible to join the protest being planned and also posting the activities of his Messiah, Peter Obi. He retweets Peter Obi often. In one of the posts, a video shows a teenager, who is said to be in the North, printing T-shirts emblazoned with ‘EndBadGovernance in Nigeria 2024’. There is also a retweeted post by Babatunde Gbadamosi, a failed and frustrated politician in Lagos. In it, he refers to his earlier post urging people ‘to identify APC members, sponsors, supporters, enablers, thugs, promoters, and appointees.’
“The police and DSS ought to have arrested the man for making a brazen threat to political opponents. There is ‘General Oluchi,’ a woman who goes by the screen name ‘A Field Marshall of the Han Dynasty.’ She has been sending out letters of mobilisation. She even pinned a ‘Week 6′ letter urging Nigerians to wake up and take control of their country, using the language of IPOB, Peter Obi, and his supporters.
“Another member of the malcontents is Brother Bernard, also known as Mikael C. Bernard. He is not based in Nigeria because he was once busted over Binance and fraudulent crypto businesses in Nigeria. Bernard was the man who once wrote that the naira should go down to zero. In a reaction to Oluchi, he said the protesters should remove the increase in salaries for the armed forces as part of their demands.
“’If they want an increment in salary, let them launch their own protest. It is not our job to fight for enablers of evil’, he wrote on X. According to our law, men of the armed forces don’t protest, an X user reminded him. He posted a sarcastic response: ‘By law, they can slap people wearing cams (camouflage) and shoot at protesters ba?’
“Security agents should, by now, begin to interrogate these agents of destabilisation. There is no country in the world where people are not going through some economic challenges and where the cost of living is not a major issue. No country is immune from economic turbulence at the moment. Civilised and democratic people wait for another election to make leadership changes. They don’t trigger mayhem in their countries by staging protests, the end of which nobody can predict.
“Nigerian citizens must consider the government’s attitude and concern about the cost of living crisis when deciding whether to join the protests by the Labour Party and IPOB supporters. The Tinubu government has not been found wanting in this regard. The minimum wage has been increased by more than 100 per cent. Loans are being disbursed to students in tertiary schools. A credit corporation has been launched to promote consumption credit. Palliatives, including the latest distribution of 740 trucks of rice to the 36 states and Abuja, are being rolled out. Businesses, such as pharmaceuticals, are being assisted.
“The Federal and state governments are investing heavily in agriculture to produce more food. The economy is improving, inflation is slowing, the national debt has been reduced in dollar terms, and the FIRS has increased revenue generation to record levels. Investors are coming back to our country. Our stock market is the best in the world, with a 33 per cent return on investment.
“President Tinubu has a four-year mandate to run his agenda. Those calling for protest should wait till 2027 to either re-elect him or elect their Messiah, Mr Peter Obi.”
Nwokoba’s Stance
Nwokoba began by expressing his concerns about the “misinformation” being spread by Onanuga, stating, “There’s absolutely no truth to it. And let me start by saying that oftentimes when those who speak for Mr President do, they forget that they must be keen on doing great service, not only to the presidency, not only to Mr President, but to the nation.”
He stressed that Peter Obi is a man of peace and due process, having shown restraint and respect for the rule of law throughout the period of judicial processes following the last election.
“He did not call the people out to protest. During the judicial process, he did not call the people out to protest. It’s a year and months after that, would he now sit back to ask the people to protest?” Nwokoba added.
Nwokoba accused Onanuga of inciting conflict and spreading falsehoods, stating, “If there’s anybody stoking the fire or stoking the embers of conflict and crisis, it is Bayo Onanuga. We use words like you noted, anarchy. We use words like, words that overhaul the system. We use words like planning mayhem. When the young people are talking about peaceful protestation, then there’s something that we must be weary about.”
‘Call Onanuga to Order’
He urged President Tinubu to call his spokespersons to order and focus on addressing the real issues facing the nation.
“Mr President must understand that those who truly love him are those who are critical of his watch. Those who are sycophants, who pat his back when things are going wrong, are the haters of not only the president, haters of a presidency, and haters of our country,” he noted.
Call for Responsible Governance
Nwokoba highlighted the pressing issues facing the Nigerian people, including hunger, poverty, unemployment, and a failing economy. He criticised the government’s extravagant spending, such as the purchase of presidential aircraft, while basic infrastructure and services remain neglected.
“When you go to the market you need 10,000 Naira to buy an average tuber of yam… When you understand the fact that the Nigerians are traumatised, tyrannised and harangued by hunger, poverty, disease and despondency… then you would understand the gravity of the situation,” he said.
Nwokoba called for a holistic overhaul of the system, advocating for reduced government spending, accountability, and restructuring to empower local governments.
“Cut down the size of government, cut down the cost of running government… Ensure the National Assembly, I’m not talking about the partridge tokenist tendency of cutting salaries for 6 months by half, I’m talking about the total package; 469 members of the National Assembly should not be taking more than over 10,000 workers.”
The Role of Opposition in Democracy
Nwokoba highlighted the importance of a strong opposition in a democratic society. He argued that attempts to stifle opposition voices are detrimental to the nation’s progress. “Opposition is the pristine boulevard in the city called patriotism,” Nwokoba stated, underscoring the need for critical voices to hold the government accountable.
Reflecting on past protests, Nwokoba pointed out the hypocrisy of current government officials who once supported protests against previous administrations but now denounce them.
“In 2012 when we marched out at Ojota against the fuel price increase by then President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, even our dear President (Tinubu) was absolutely in support materially and morally of that protest,” he reminded.
Protest is Nigerians’ Constitutional Right
Addressing the immediate steps needed to avert the planned protest, Nwokoba advised President Tinubu to communicate directly with the Nigerian people, demonstrate empathy for their suffering, and take concrete actions to reduce government excesses.
He warned against the use of state resources to dissuade protest through coercion and intimidation, arguing that such measures only deepen the resolve of the protesters.
Nwokoba’s message was clear: the right to peaceful protest is enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution and must be respected. He urged the government to engage with the protesters constructively and address their legitimate grievances to avoid further escalation.
“The time is always right to do right. If you have gone so far on the wrong road, and you know that it’s hurting the Nigerian people, turn back and do what is right.”
The Real Agitators: Nigerian Youth
According to Nwokoba, the planned protest is being organised by Nigerian youth who are frustrated with the current state of governance. He pointed out that these young people are facing severe economic hardships, including unemployment, high inflation, and lack of basic necessities. He accused Onanuga of inciting unrest by mischaracterising the peaceful intentions of the protesters.
A Plea for Unity and Understanding
Nwokoba appealed to all Nigerians, including activists and those in power, to come together for the common good. He reminded them of the struggles they shared in the past and the need to remain true to the principles of justice and equity.
Prof Chris Nwokoba’s passionate plea underscores the urgent need for the Nigerian government to address the nation’s socio-economic challenges and respect the constitutional rights of its citizens to peaceful protest. His words serve as a reminder that true patriotism lies in holding the government accountable and striving for a just and equitable society for all Nigerians.
