Kaduna: ‘We Cannot Participate In Protest That Has No Leadership’ – Shehu Sani

Former senator representing Kaduna Central in the 8th National Assembly, Shehu Sani, has distanced himself from the nationwide protest scheduled for August 1st to 10th, 2024, stating that the protest organisers are faceless with no clear leadership direction.

Naija News reports that Sani, while speaking with journalists in Kaduna on Thursday, emphasized the importance of peaceful protest with visible leadership to avoid metamorphosing into violence that is capable of destabilising the country.

He called for peaceful protests with clear leadership, citing his own experiences while participating in protests with visible leaders such as President Bola Tinubu, former President Muhammad Buhari, and late Balarabe Musa, among others, during the military days and the 2012 Anti-subsidy protest.

According to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Nigeria is a democratic nation where people can express opinions, criticize the government, and protest peacefully.

However, protests without leaders could lead to chaos and anarchy, citing the events that happened in Kenya and Sudan, which led to the breakdown of law and order and the decimation of the security forces.

The former lawmaker also commended the Kaduna state government’s stance on protests, stating that they would only support protests with identified leaders who could take responsibility in case of a breakdown of law and order in the country.

He said, “It is important that we bring back our conscience to the fact that Nigeria is a democracy. People have the right to express their opinions, criticise the government and protest peacefully.

“I have been a protester all my life and President Bola Tinubu has also been a protester too but we were peaceful protesters. Protesters that demanded justice; protesters that demanded freedom and protesters that demanded for people’s friendly policies.

“Now, the problem we are having now is that there are issues that we need to address. A protest needs two things: firstly, it’s a purpose. Of course, its purpose is that people are suffering in the country.

“But also a protest needs a visible leader. When a protest has no leader, the tendency of that protest to metamorphose into violence is apparent.

“We are from a state that comes from the past that had experiences of violence that began with protest. So, I can say that our constitution guarantees protection for peaceful protesters but peaceful protesters can only be protected if the leaders drive the process peacefully. We cannot participate in a protest that has no leadership.

“We cannot participate in a protest that is called by spirit. We can only participate in a protest that is called by either labour or organized civil society. A protest must have an identity. If it does not have an identity, the tendency to degenerate into violence and chaos is apparent.

“Let’s take into context the protest in Kenya and that of Sudan. The protest in Kenya was people-oriented. Unfortunately, over 20 people were killed, but it forced the government of Kenya to bow down to the demands of the people.

“But a bad example of protest was the one that happened in Sudan where protest led to the breakdown of law and order and the decimation of security forces, which later degenerated into war.”