A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun state, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has appealed to the protesters against bad governance to listen to President Bola Tinubu and end the protest.
Noting that the president had acknowledged the essence of the protest and called for dialogue, Oyintiloye stated that the wanton destruction of property, looting, and killing of innocent Nigerians could not be justified in the name of protest.
In a statement made available to our correspondent in Osogbo, Sunday, Oyintiloye said the reported killing of about 10 persons in Niger, Borno, Kano and Kaduna during the protest was disheartening.
Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), who noted that there was no doubt that there is hunger in the country, said going violent against the government and the people was not the best way to address the present situation.
He said shutting a fragile economy like Nigeria, for 10 days, would be counter-productive, as it may result in more sufferings for the masses.
The APC chieftain also said destruction of the federal government’s multi-million naira digital innovation park in Kano, among others, was disheartening.
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker in Osun, said there was no doubt that it is a constitutional right to protest within the ambits of fundamental human rights, but the protest should be properly managed not to snowball into riots.
He said the protest, which had resulted in killing, looting and destruction could no longer be described as a protest, but a riot.
He said such riot act will contravene section 71 of the Criminal Code Acts of Nigeria that is explicit stated that “Any person who takes part in a riot is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment for three years.
“Therefore, protesters must be careful not to allow their activities to be interpreted as a riot that is a punishable offence.”
Oyintiloye said while the organisers of the protest might have a genuine reasons to hold a peaceful protest, there were some individuals, who could be described as enemies of the nation, who might want to use the protest to destabilise the government.
