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In a decisive move, several groups from the 19 northern states have withdrawn from the planned nationwide protest scheduled to commence on August 1, opting instead for dialogue with the federal government.
The announcement was made during a joint press conference in Minna on Wednesday, July 31, where the coalition expressed their commitment to peaceful resolution through dialogue.
The press conference, which featured key representatives such as Mr Yahaya Usman of Siyasar Yanci (Politics of Freedom), Aliyu Abdulmalik of Agaie Emirate Consultative Forum, and Saidu Alfa of Yan-Almajiri Endowment, highlighted concerns over the potential for violence during the protest.
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"While some of the demands for a protest are very much genuine, we have become very concerned that some of the rhetoric from all sides does not point to a peaceful and civil protest," stated Mr Usman, citing security advisories from experts and agencies.
Mr Usman further acknowledged the government's efforts to address some of the protesters' demands through various interventions.
These include financial autonomy for local government areas, student loan programs, the new minimum wage act, and establishing a youth secretariat in the FCT.
He praised the federal government's repeated calls for dialogue, particularly the efforts of the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris.
"In view of the above and repeated government calls for dialogue, we accept the government's offer of dialogue," Usman declared.
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Appeal to halt protest
He urged members of the groups across the 19 northern states and the nation to cease participating in the protest.
Usman also called on the federal government to roll out terms of reference immediately for the dialogue to commence.
Highlighting the historical precedence of dialogue as a resolution, Usman noted, "We went through a civil war and ended up in dialogue. We went through the Aba women's riot and ended up in dialogue. We went through June 12 and ended in dialogue. Even this one will end in dialogue, so we accept the rather shorter route than the longer route of protests."