National
Protest: APC Support Groups Caution Against Violence
By Abubakar Yunusa
The Confederation of All Progressives Congress APC Support Groups (CASG) has said that the planned nationwide protest against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration over the state of the nation may lead to anarchy and should be discarded.
He also suggested the strengthening of the Mobile arm of the Nigerian Police and the withdrawal of the military to tackle banditry and other forms of insecurity in the country.
He said that he was pained on lingering issues on the Nigerian political space, threatening to undermine the co-values of the nation’s political development.
“I genuinely accept and sympathise with my fellow countrymen and women on these unfortunate scenarios, to wit: soaring prices of food items, services and goods across the country. As a democrat, I also accept the feelings of Nigerians, mostly, the down trodden, whose meagre economic demand power, has not been able to cope with the development.
“This is why the CASG, of which I as the Director–General, strongly stands against any ill-advised group of persons or individuals, to organize and stage a nationwide protest against the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, under any guise, because, it is a distraction that is loaded with landmines that should be avoided,” Kailani said.
He warned that no nation in the world has survived an uncoordinated nationwide protest, because it will plunge the nation into chaos, as can be seen in Kenya which struggling to survive one.
He said, “Nigeria cannot afford that experience at this critical moment. We have not forgotten the EndSars painful memory. Therefore, we should not indulge ourselves in an untimely protest that has the potential and attraction of being hijacked by hoodlums, political jobbers and losers.
“We have not forgotten the looting syndrome that normally charecterise protests in Nigeria. This is why the President, National Harmonised Association of Nigerian Traders, Bature Abdulazzez, categorically, warned its members to stay away from the planned protest.
“After all, President Tinubu has a listening ear. In the wake of these, he has dispatched 20 trucks of rice to each of the 36 states, including Abuja. We are appealing to the state governors and the Minister of the FCT, to ensure that the commodity is not diverted to political cronies and relatives, but reaches the down- trodden masses for which it is intended.”
He said that the confederation believes President Tinubu is working round the clock, to see that other palliatives and frameworks to ease the unexpected hardship by the citizenry ends shortly.
“Hence, it becomes imperative that the dynamics of corporate engagement should be engaged, to attain socio-economic uplift of the nation and its peoples, rather of embarking on a protest laded with land mines.”
Speaking on the suspended former Senate Chief Whip, Senator Ali Ndume, he said that the ranking lawmaker remains a member of the APC, the CASG and an ally of President Tinubu, but should have been more circumvent on his grievances due to the important position he occupied in the country.
“He (Ndume) said some things because he cannot see Mr President, that as an elder statesman, he should not have said publicly. If he cannot see the President today, he can see him another time. He should not have washed a dirty linen in public,” Kailani said.
President Bola Tinubu articulated on Thursday the rationale behind his administration’s economic reforms, saying the primary motive was protecting the interests of future generations.
“For 50 years, Nigeria was spending money of generations yet unborn and servicing the West coast of our subregion with fuel. It was getting difficult to plan for our children’s future,” he said.
He made these remarks at the State House in Abuja while receiving a delegation of former National Assembly colleagues from the aborted Third Republic, during which he served as a Senator representing Lagos West.
The president highlighted the challenges faced at the beginning of his administration, especially economic and social issues, and expressed his gratitude for the delegation’s support in addressing these difficulties:
“We faced serious headwinds when I took over, very challenging times. Nigeria would have been bankrupt if we had not taken the actions that we took, and we had to prevent the economy’s collapse.
President Tinubu declared that the administration had been able to stem the tide and expressed appreciation to Nigerians for their collective support in turning things around.
“Today, we are sitting pretty on a good foundation. We have reversed the problem; the Exchange rate is stabilising. Food prices are coming down, especially during Ramadan. We will have light at the end of the tunnel.”
He said firm adherence to democratic tenets is the best route to economic, social, and political development.
“I am happy that you are holding to your belief in democracy. I thank you for keeping faith and remembering how we started. Some people missed the ball.
“Some leadership failed, but we kept the faith with our democratic beliefs and freedom and the right to aspire to the highest office in the land. I am benefitting from it.”
Emmanuel Nwaka, who spoke on behalf of the group, expressed his delight at some of the programmes that the Tinubu administration had implemented, especially the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) and at what the two organisations were offering Nigerians.
“I appreciate you for what you are giving to students because the student population is the largest demographic in the country. I’ve spoken with many of them, and many have benefited from it.
“And the next one is the CREDICORP. That’s a major way of fighting corruption. You see a young man, you come out of school, you want to buy a car, you have to put down cash, you want to buy a house, and you are not married, but with the CREDICORP, you can get things done. I’m following their activities; we are delighted,” Mr Nwaka, a former senator, said.
Other delegation members were Bako Musa, Terwase Orbunde, Wasiu Logun, Amina Aliyu, Obi Anoliefo and Eze Nwauwa.
The Senate has passed a vote of confidence in its President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, reaffirming its support for his leadership amid recent controversies.
This followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti) and seconded by Deputy Minority Leader Olalere Oyewumi (PDP-Osun) during Thursday’s plenary.
In his motion of urgent national importance, Bamidele cited Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Rules, emphasising that Akpabio had demonstrated effective leadership since the inauguration of the 10th Senate despite the controversy surrounding allegations of sexual harassment.
Addressing concerns over Akpabio’s handling of a petition referred to the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges, and Public Petitions, Bamidele clarified that the matter had nothing to do with sexual harassment.
“Some critics have accused this Senate of allowing Akpabio to preside over his matter. However, the issue before us was strictly about a motion referred to the Ethics Committee,” Bamidele stated.
He urged Nigerians to recognise that the Senate operates within the framework of the law, not personal biases.
“We are guided by rules, not the whims of individuals. This is not about a group of men conspiring against a woman but ensuring our rules are respected. That is the only way we can guarantee peace, law, and order,” he added.
Bamidele further dismissed claims that the Senate lacked the authority to suspend a member, stating that legal interpretations would ultimately confirm the Senate’s position.
He urged Nigerians not to be distracted by the sexual harassment allegations, noting that the matter was already before the courts.
“While we acknowledge public concern, we remain focused on our legislative duties. There are pressing matters that require our attention for the good of the country,” he said.
According to him, the Senate will continue to work alongside the executive to improve economic conditions and promote democratic participation.
“Our priority is to bring economic stability and development to Nigerians. We will not be sidetracked,” he affirmed.
In his response, Senate President Godswill Akpabio thanked his colleagues for their support and emphasised that the 10th Senate remains united in its commitment to national progress.
He also accused Sen. Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of misrepresenting her suspension at the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) meeting, stating that she embarrassed the country with a misleading narrative.
ASharia Court in Kano State on Wednesday ordered a 29-year-old man, Abduljabar Nura, to be remanded in a corrections centre for stabbing his neighbour over an electricity bill.
The police charged Mr Nura, who lives in Fagge Quarters in Kano, with causing grievous hurt.
When the charge was read to the defendant, he pleaded guilty to the offence.
The judge, Umar Lawal-Abubakar, ordered that the defendant should be remanded in the Goron Dutse Correctional Centre in Kano until April 15 for sentencing.
The prosecution counsel, Zahradeen Abubakar, told the court that Haruna Kasim, the complainant, reported the matter at the Fagge police station on February 28.
He alleged that the defendant and Mr Kasim had an altercation over an electricity bill.
The police said that the defendant stabbed the complainant with a pair of scissors on his back.