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The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop complaining about whoever masterminded the recent protests in Kano and Minna because it is a normal thing in democracy.
Earlier in the week, residents of Kano and Minna in Niger State took to the streets to protest against the high cost of living in the country.
On Tuesday, February 6, 2024, the APC accused the PDP and other opposition parties of sponsoring the protests, arguing that the simultaneous demonstrations in the two cities could not have been a coincidence.
The ruling party alleged that the protests were sponsored to portray President Bola Tinubu’s administration as underperforming and to cause unrest in the country.
Refuting the allegation, the PDP said the protests reflected the state of the country’s economy.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said it is a normal thing in a democracy for a ruling party to accuse opposition parties of organising protests even though the issue at hand is a reflection of the country’s situation.
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Abdullahi said if the PDP is the party in power, there is a tendency it would accuse the APC of sponsoring protests to make make its government unpopular.
He said, “If the PDP were to be in power, there is a tendency it might likely accuse the APC of masterminding these protests. It is a normal thing in democracy. But what is the crux of the matter here? If the issue at hand is a true reflection of the situation in the land, I don’t think it behoove the APC to start complaining about people behind it. What is more critical is that the country is under siege and facing a very terrible situation as we speak. You and I go to the same market and we are all witnesses to the massive degeneration of our economy as well as the tragic fall of our beloved country from the high point of glory.
He said Nigerians have been grappling with insecurity, inflation and unemployment since the APC came to power in 2015.
Ibrahim maintained that the APC should not expect the opposition parties to accept the challenges Nigerians are facing as a phase of life, adding that the opposition parties are there to check the decisions and policies of the ruling party.