August 1: Political Motivations, Foreign Interests Behind Planned Protest — Bwala

A former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign spokesman, Daniel Bwala, has suggested that the planned protests against the current administration of President Bola Tinubu have political undertones and may involve foreign interests.

Speaking to State House correspondents on Wednesday after a meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Bwala expressed his belief that the protests were not solely driven by genuine concerns over prevailing economic hardship.

He went further to claim that the situation even transcends the country, hinting at possible foreign involvement taking advantage of Nigeria’s current economic challenges.

Bwala pointed out that while Nigerians have the constitutional right to protest, the current planned demonstrations could potentially turn violent.

He warned that such an outcome could lead to the destruction of property and infrastructure, ultimately harming the very people the protester claimed to support.

The former PDP spokesman highlighted what he saw a politically motivated language surrounding the protests.

He said, “I honestly believe that that there is to a large extent the element of politics and my belief that it even transcends the country there.

“There would have been foreign interest but taking advantage of the poor political climate because of the fact of hunger and suffering. We know that everybody in Nigeria acknowledges that there is suffering and the suffering did not start last year.

“We’ve been dealing with that issue, you know of suffering, you know, lack of employment, we’re talking about enterpreneurship, virtually every aspect of the economy and security is what we have always been pushing the envelope and see how we can attain a better place.

“But suddenly, the conversation, if you see the mainstream and social media is all about, they want to bring the government down, President Bola Tinubu must resign.

“Once you hear that kind of talk and language, then you don’t need somebody to interpret that there is a political connotation. You must be aware that people have been holding meetings saying they want to unseat the President.

“By our Constitution. He has four years and it’s renewable for another term or four years. And he’s doing everything possible. In these four years to deliver on the promise to the Nigerian people, the trajectory are going, some of you who are knowledgeable in economics, you would have seen as the data are coming in and some of the indices, it shows that there is a redirection that is going on.

“There is no reform that is easy. Go to Brazil, any part of the world, if you’re going to do reform, it is not going to be easy.

“It means that all of us will have to readjust, but the government’s role when you are initiating reform is to bring about intervention, which is what the President is doing, like the release of truckloads of food.

“He even committed to helping the organized private sector to meet up with the minimum wage. So this is my immediate reaction to the question.”

On reports that former vice president Atiku Abubakar is backing the planned nationwide protest, Bwala acknowledged that while protest is a constitutional right, he expressed serious reservations about the potential for violence.

“Our only concern is if the protests will be peaceful. Evidence is showing that this protest is building up to be violent,” Bwala stated.

The former PDP spokesman pointed to alarming rhetoric on social media, including threats of arson and violence, as indicators of the protest’s potentially dangerous nature.

He emphasised that such developments could lead to a situation where “you will not be here.”

Addressing opposition support for the protest, Bwala remarked, “Every opposition member will want to support any action of the people that will ridicule, denigrate or show the governing party as not effective.”

However, he stressed that this support should not extend to actions that may compromise public safety.

Bwala referenced Section 45 of the Nigerian Constitution, which allows for the limitation of certain rights in the interest of public safety, protection of lives, and national security.

He argued that if the protest is likely to turn violent, laws could be justifiably enacted to curtail it.

Bwala also highlighted several key initiatives undertaken by President Tinubu in response to mounting public pressure and planned protests.

He listed these measures include:enactment of a new minimum wage law,distribution of food aid to address hunger concerns, implementation of local government autonomy to improve grassroots governance and efforts to enhance primary healthcare, education, and local security

The former opposition spokesman praised the actions as “good steps” towards addressing the grievances of Nigerian citizens.

He particularly emphasised the importance of local government autonomy, describing it as a “masterstroke” that would bring governance closer to the people.