PDP Chieftain Olayinka Urges Nigerian Government to Cease Promotion of ‘Imaginary’ Protest

Lere Olayinka, a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Chief Press Secretary to ex-Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose, has called on both federal and state governments to disregard what he describes as an “imaginary” nationwide protest.

In a statement released on Friday, Olayinka urged the government to remain focused on its duties, asserting that “no one is planning any protest.”

Nigerian youths, frustrated by the current economic conditions, have announced plans to stage protests across the country from August 1 to 10. In response, President Bola Tinubu and the 36 state governors are working diligently to prevent the demonstrations.

President Tinubu has appealed for patience from potential protesters, promising that his administration is committed to addressing the nation’s hardships.

However, Olayinka, who was a PDP House of Representatives candidate in the last general election, criticized the government’s response. He argued that “protests are not organized with a month’s notice” and suggested that the government may either be distracting itself or using the protest as a diversion.

Olayinka noted, “Protests are typically spontaneous, as seen with the recent demonstrations in Kenya, which erupted immediately after the imposition of new taxes. The current situation does not reflect that kind of spontaneity.”

He further questioned the government’s focus on a protest that may not even be planned, asking, “How many Nigerians were aware of any protest before the government began discussing it?”