Cost of Living: APC accuses opposition parties of sponsoring protests to instigate unrest

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused opposition parties of sponsoring protests to portray President Bola Tinubu’s administration as underperforming.

The ruling party argued that the protests that simultaneously took place in Niger and Kano on Monday, February 5, 2024, were not coincidental.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary of APC, Felix Morka, the party said it recognises the rights of Nigerians to protest but the protests over the high cost of living was a plot by opposition parties to instigate unrest in the country.

The statement reads in part, “The protests in Minna and Kano on Monday were the manifestation of this devious and unpatriotic plot. That the protests happened simultaneously in both cities is not coincidental. It bears the bold stamp of an orchestrated and coordinated effort to instigate unrest and undermine the government.

“This mercenary opposition tactic is a clear and present threat to public peace and national security.

“While we recognise the right of citizens to engage in peaceful protest, we urge our good people to be vigilant and not lend themselves to the treacherous attempt by the opposition to promote social strife by its incendiary rhetoric and manipulative plots.

The party appealed to Nigerians to stand with the government, promising that the president’s policies would soon yield benefits.

“The President Bola Tinubu-led administration is solidly committed to doing everything in its power to mitigate the transient pains of critically important reforms that are crucial to economic recovery and sustainable prosperity for all Nigerians.

“It behoves us as good citizens of our beloved country to stand fast with our government in this noble stride. In due time, these policy reforms will yield an enduring beneficial transformation of the material conditions of life in the country,” the party said.

The APC also implored Nigerians to shun any attempt by “opposition elements to destabilize the country for their own base and parochial political gains.”