Former militants in the Niger Delta region have stated that they will not partake in the planned hardship protest, alleging that promoters of the movement are plotting anarchy and move unconstitutional.
The ex-agitators, in their hundreds disclosed their position at the end of an emergency meeting in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
They resolved to support the administration of President Bola Tinubu, insisting that with more time the President would resolve all the problems afflicting the country.
The position to shun the protest was endorsed by ex-militant leaders in Niger Delta region, national leaders of concern Niger Delta Ex-Agitators, National leaders Niger Delta movement for Good Governance, ex-freedom fighters of the Niger Delta region, Coalition of Niger Delta Students and Coalition of Aggrieved Niger Delta Youths.
Speaking on behalf of the stakeholders at the meeting, the National Secretary of First Phase Ex-agitators, Mr Nature Kieghe, said though protest is the right of the people, any such event with the motive of destabilising the country to bring about anarchy should be resisted by the citizens.
Kieghe said having gone through the demands of the promoters, the ex-agitators decided to pull out of it in the interest of peace and development of the region and the country.
He particularly condemned the alleged demand for change of government by the promoters, saying it revealed that the entire objective was not to demand food governance, but to violently try to take over power.
He said: “In democracy that we practice, there is no room for anarchy; the only way the government can be changed is through an election. When one election cycle closes and you fail to actualise your political ambition, you need to wait for another election cycle to try again.
“Therefore, election remains the only constitutionally accepted means of replacing any government, it is not by protest. As ex-agitators we won’t join a protest already designed to cause violence.
“We still have confidence in the capacity of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reposition this country. He is barely one year in office and we have resolved to give him more time to allow the gains of his policies and programmes permeate the books and crannies of this country.
“But if after his tenure and we fail to see significant progress, then we will return to take another decision ahead of the 2027 election.
“We make bold to declare that the subsisting leadership cannot be changed unless there is an election. What they are trying to achieve is mutiny, coup and it has no place in democracy.
“The organisers have wrong motives and we can’t identify with them. The government was elected and it cannot be removed through protest. We already have many crisis on our hands and we cannot allow for any breakdown of law and order in our region”.
Blessing Ibunge
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