Youth Forum Opposes Proposed Protest Over Hardship

The National Youth Stakeholders Forum (NYSF), a coalition of youth groups in Nigeria, has opposed the proposed nationwide protests against hardship and bad governance.

The Forum declared its decision not to participate in the protests, emphasizing the importance of maintaining political stability in the country. Instead, it demanded that President Bola Tinubu immediately restore the country’s four refineries to full operational capacity.

This decision was announced by Vice Chairman Chinazam Ike during a press conference in Abuja on Saturday. Ike warned that evidence suggested the protest could be hijacked by politicians with ulterior motives.

While the group supports peaceful protests aimed at achieving positive outcomes for the country, it opposes using protests to create political instability. Ike stated that it is unpatriotic to allow desperate politicians to exploit the country’s hardship for their gain.

“We strongly agree with holding the government accountable and expressing views or displeasures, as these are fundamental to a democracy,” Ike said. “As young people, we support peaceful protests for the greater good of our nation. However, we oppose the weaponization of protests to initiate political instability.”

Ike cited examples of peaceful protests in other African countries leading to social resolutions and warned of the dangers when protests are hijacked by politicians to destabilize the government.

“We have strong reasons to believe that the proposed protests favor the latter. Confidential information suggests that politicians plan to use the protest to settle political scores,” Ike added.

He redirected their demands to President Tinubu, urging the immediate restoration of the country’s refineries to ensure the availability, affordability, and sustainability of fuel, which powers the economy.

NIGERIA NEWS 247 reports that some Nigerians are mobilizing for nationwide protests from August 1 to August 10, 2024, under the hashtag #EndBadGovernance, citing widespread hunger and inflation.