Kola Ologbondiyan, immediate past National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI speaks on the planned hardship protest in Nigeria tagged ‘#EndBadGovernance. He also counsels the federal government on how best to handle the situation. Excerpts:
The proposed #EndBadGovernance protest is scheduled to begin tomorrow August 1. However, some Nigerians, especially government officials have kicked against it saying it may lead to violence and destruction of properties like the #EndSARS protest of 2020. Do you also share that view?
Except the federal government has other plans, I do not see the need for violence in the planned hunger protests. I do not understand the need to go and bring out Oro people to scare people from protesting. I think the protest is just an expression of Nigerians over the glaring failure of the APC government led by President Bola Tinubu. You can’t suppress the feelings of the people. They wear the shoes and they know where it pinches them. You can’t beat a child and expect that child not to cry. I do not see the need for any counter-protest because it will only escalate the situation and it will lead to violence. It happened during the #EndSARS protest in 2020. Femi Falana (SAN) stated in a recent interview that it was government that brought the violence by attacking the peaceful protesters. I think what government ought to be looking at is how to ensure that hoodlums don’t take over the protest or attack the protesters. Sending thugs after peaceful protesters can only lead to violence because they can’t fold their hands and watch while being attacked. So, my appeal to the government is to allow Nigerians to ventilate their anger because of the hardship they are facing. If they want to do that through peaceful protests, no counter-protest should be organised to stop them.
Time is running out. What can the government do in the next 24 hours to calm the situation?
What this government needs to do is to review its policies, particularly the absolute ‘claimed’ withdrawal of subsidy on petroleum products as well as the increase in electricity tariff. These policies have frustrated Nigerians to no end. Also, all the technicalities of palliative systems which was done by the Buhari administration and is also being implemented by the Tinubu administration is not impacting on the people. As a matter of fact, it can clearly be said that the policy has failed. So, the government needs to wear its thinking cap and review all these policies. But to think that Nigerians will watch and allow themselves to be suppressed and killed under this system is unthinkable. President Tinubu should come out and speak to Nigerians. As a matter of fact, his day-to-day activities are not well-managed by his handlers. We are envisaging a situation of crisis like this and the president is refusing to engage with Nigerians. I am not surprised because he did something similar during the electioneering campaign by refusing to debate. How will Nigerians have a president that will not engage? Even Buhari still managed to engage with the people as president. So, Tinubu needs to come out and speak to Nigerians. What are his plans for Nigerians in view of this protest? I’ve heard people say that the protesters should go for dialogue rather than protest. Who is inviting them for the dialogue? What we have been hearing are statements from the president’s handlers, ministries and police IGP. The president must come out and address Nigerians whether his words will be believed or not. We don’t need his aides issuing press statements on his behalf. We need the president himself to address Nigerians.
Some are calling for dialogue as an alternative to protest. Are you in support of this?
When we say dialogue, we don’t mean monologue. You can’t dialogue with something or somebody that is non-existent. Who are the protesters going to dialogue with? Is it the ministers, some of whom we are hearing in public space that they don’t even have access to the president? Or is it senators that will come and address the people? Don’t forget that Senator Ndume said even some of the senators don’t have access to the president. Ndume said the president has been held hostage. He should tell those who are holding him hostage to allow him come and speak to those who he claimed voted for him to become president.
What do you make of some statements of aides the president accusing the opposition party leaders of being the brains behind the protest?
It smacks of poverty of ideas. It also shows clearly that those who are surrounding the president are not providing him the right advice. If that is what they are bringing to public space, it then shows what they are telling the president in private. We have a very bad situation on our hands. That is the fact, whether those in government wants to admit it or not. Is it Peter Obi that said Nigerians should be hungry? Is it Atiku that removed fuel subsidy and increased fuel price from N187 to over N600? Is it Obi that said the purchasing power of Nigerians should be ridiculously low to the extent that people cannot even eat once a day? Is it Atiku or Obi that is responsible for the insecurity in the country where farmers can no longer go to their farms? It is just a lazy way of thinking So, it just shows the poverty of ideas of those who are around the president. They don’t know the reality of what is happening in the country. if this is all they can come up with, then it is very embarrassing.
At any rate, it is in public space now that the president said he spent his money to become Nigeria’s president. That confirms what Nigerians have been saying that the 2023 presidential was sold. If the president can publicly admit that he spent his money to become president, then it shows clearly and has confirmed what Nigerians have been saying that the election was bought and sold. If it is true that the president told traditional rulers that he spent his money to become president, then it has confirmed the belief of Nigerians that the election was sold to him. But above all things, as long as he is occupying the office of the president, he should come out and speak to Nigerians.
