By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The mass protest planned to take place across the country from today against the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has been described as a failure by the presidency.
In a statement signed today by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, Nigerians were thanked for ignoring the backers of the demonstration designed to be a revolution.
“Today, millions of Nigerians went about their businesses: work, seeking employment, attending schools/colleges and caring for their families. By doing so, the millions defended our country’s hard-won democratic rights – by ignoring calls on social media to join a phantom ‘revolution’.
“There were a few hundred persons today who, for their own reasons, decided to act upon the demands of a group calling itself Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria, which went on social media to ask everyday Nigerians to overthrow the government they only elected some six months ago.
“The President is humbled by the support – not for himself, or the governing party – but for the democratic values of modern-day Nigeria through the wisdom of those millions of citizens who preferred democracy and decided not to undermine an elected government,” the presidency said.
“Today, joining those millions of Nigerians was not only the President and governing party at Federal level, but many state governments from the opposition, trade unions, civil society organisations, media and NGOs with focus on freedom of speech. All have, rightly, united in protecting Nigeria’s young democracy and the rights of all to elect leaders and lawmakers.
“The Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria’s attempt to incite citizens into a revolution against their own democratic rights and interests has failed – as will all attempts to take away from the people their hard-won rights and freedom to choose who leads their country,” the statement added.
Business Post reports that one of the conveners of the protest, Mr Omoyele Sowore, was picked up by officials of the secret police in the early hours of Saturday for allegedly attempting to overthrow a democratically elected government in power.
Adedapo Adesanya