The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has once again advised against any planned rallies, stating that the nation’s capital is not ready for a nationwide protest.
Wike, the former Rivers State Governor, made the statement on Thursday while speaking to some FCT residents during an inspection tour in Saburi.
“For those who want to protest on the 1st, the FCT is not available for such protests,” he stated, asking locals to avoid such actions.
According to the minister, staging a protest will not fix the nation’s current problems; instead, every well-meaning Nigerian must work together.
He went on to say that prominent political officials and other leaders who have thrown their support behind the demonstration are not doing so for the good of the country, but rather for their own selfish interests.
While admitting the country’s widespread poverty, Wike emphasised that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is doing everything necessary to address the situation and improve the living standards of all inhabitants.
He thus appealed on Nigerians to have patience with the Federal Government.
This is Wike’s second warning in a week about the planned nationwide protest.
On Tuesday, he labelled the planned demonstration as politically motivated, with the goal of diverting Nigerians’ attention away from the current administration’s efforts.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu, governors, and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have urged Nigerians to postpone the planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ demonstration scheduled for next month.
The protest against economic hardship, which has gained pace on social media, is set to take place in all states of the Federation as well as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The protest organisers have not been identified.