A group, Nigerian Patriotic Front Movement, Northern chapter and one of the organisations participating in the EndBadGovernanceIn Nigeria protest, has threatened to begin an indefinite protest after the curfew is completely lifted in Kano State.
The secretary of the NPFM, Anas Adamu made the threat in a telephone interview with PUNCH Online in Kano on Saturday. He said the group would resume the protest because the President, Bola Tinubu, had yet to address their demands ten days after the commencement of the nationwide protests.
The statement read, “We shall resume the protest immediately after the curfew is lifted which will be indefinite because the government has not met our demands.
“We are all aware that Nigeria is facing a major governance and economic crisis, which the government of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has, in 15 months, exacerbated,” he said.
According to him, the President’s broadcast on Sunday morning was nothing but an empty speech because he had not addressed any of their minimum demands.
“We are totally not satisfied with all that the President said in his address of last Sunday to the nation. So, we will continue with the protest because the only thing that is stopping us is the curfew.
“So, I’m assuring you that as soon as the curfew is lifted we shall resume our protest which will be indefinite until our demands are met, As law-abiding citizens and with the curfew in the State that is why we suspended the protest,” he said.
He explained that in the event the government fails to address their demands, the group will have no other option than to go on an indefinite protest.
According to him, the group had commenced mobilisation of its members ahead of the lifting of the curfew imposed on the State.
“We have startled mobilising our members before the lifting of the curfew to ensure effective participation in the protest after the curfew is lifted”, he said.
Anas who called for the immediate release of peaceful protesters arrested by the security personnel during the hunger protest, said their group is not in support of violence or destruction and looting of properties.
“We are in support of peaceful protest because it’s the right of citizens to protest as enshrined in the constitution.
“So, we are in support of the government to prosecute those who turned the protest into violence because it was not what the protest was meant for,” he said.
He also challenged the rationale behind arresting protesters who flew Russian flags saying there was nothing wrong with the flying of the foreign flags.
“We shall soon issue a statement with regards to our stand on the issue of flying Russian flags by the protesters”, he added.