President Bola Tinubu convened urgent meetings on Thursday with All Progressives Congress state governors, influential traditional rulers, and Ulamas (Islamic religious scholars) at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.
These meetings were a part of the government’s proactive measures to prevent the planned hunger protests scheduled to take place nationwide from August 1 to 10.
The recent meetings come in the wake of increasing demands for anti-hunger protests due to widespread economic challenges in the country.
These protests, organized under the hashtag ‘EndBadGovernance,’ have garnered substantial attention on social media despite the anonymity of the organizers and the lack of any official group claiming responsibility.
President Tinubu first convened a meeting with the APC governors, who are part of the Progressives Governors Forum, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. The meeting commenced at 1 pm and continued for approximately one hour and fifteen minutes.
Following a previous meeting held by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum on Wednesday night, another meeting took place after the National Economic Council meeting, which was initially scheduled for Thursday afternoon but was canceled at the last minute.
The meeting with the traditional rulers commenced around 2:30 pm, as the President made his arrival at the Council Chamber in the Villa. The meeting concluded at 4 pm.
The meeting was graced by the esteemed presence of The Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, along with Vice President Kashim Shettima, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
During the meeting, Governor Abdulrazaq Abdulrahman of Kwara State, who serves as the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, and Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, who chairs the Progressives Governors Forum, were in attendance. Additionally, Edun and Bagudu joined the President at the meeting.
After the meeting on, the traditional rulers emphasized the importance of the protest organizers engaging in dialogue with the Federal Government. They expressed concerns about the potential for the protests to be taken over by unruly individuals.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye said “The President has said, ‘any leader that you don’t like, wait (until 2027) and vote him out.’ He is open to dialogue. We know that Nigeria faces many challenges. But are we going to destroy our nation by ourselves? Is that what we are all after?
“It is very difficult to build, but it is the easiest to destroy. We are all stakeholders in this country and are stronger as a nation than individually.”
“We should talk to ourselves. We need to know that today; it’s a completely different spin. The government, ably led by the President, is willing to engage and dialogue and bring governance very close to the people.” he added
Oba Adeyeye explained that the traditional leaders vehemently oppose the participation of individuals, particularly young people, in looting and causing disruptions to law and order.
“We condemn such acts fully. We are parents, we are traditional rulers, and we are closer to them (youths). We are going to go back home and continue to engage them.” He said.
The monarch emphasized the unprecedented nature of the stewardship transition from the Federal Executive Council directly to the traditional rulers. This historical shift marks the first occurrence of such a transfer of responsibility in our nation.
“Today (Thursday) is the very first time we will be addressed properly by the Federal Executive Council…in terms of the plans of government, their achievements so far, and where they’re having challenges. So, there is a proper bridge between the governed and the people in charge of government.
“For the very first time, the traditional rulers were properly engaged. This is long-awaited. We are closer to our people and can bring that feedback back home. So, it’s a beautiful take home for us because we don’t lock our palaces; we are more exposed to the people we rule over.” the Oba added.
The Emir of Zazzau, Ahmed Bamalli, expressed concern about the planned protests, emphasizing that traditional rulers feared the potential for the protests to escalate and destabilize the country.
He referenced similar events in other countries where protests led to significant changes in government.
Drawing on his experience as a former diplomat, the Emir highlighted the importance of understanding the potential consequences of such demonstrations.
The Emir emphasized that the ongoing insecurity in the northern region continues to be the primary cause of Nigeria’s food crisis.
He called on the Federal Government to prioritize addressing the security challenges, noting that doing so would lead to overall stability in the country.
“We have made it very clear to him (President Tinubu) that the main problem in this country, especially the north, is insecurity. If the security situation is addressed, certainly people will go back to their farms and the issue of hunger will drastically reduce and disappear,” Bamalli further explained.
He called on Nigerians to remain patient and heed wise counsel while being confident that Nigeria will regain its prominent status as the leading country in Africa.
The Dein of Agbor Kingdom, Ikenchukwu Keagborokuzi I, urged the youth of Nigeria to take advantage of all the opportunities available to them by working with the Federal Government.
Keagborokuzi emphasized that the youth are the backbone of the nation and acknowledged the numerous challenges they face.
Despite this, he expressed his belief that the #EndBadGovernance protests alone would not be enough to address the deep-rooted issues in the country.
He explained that after hearing directly from the President, he has seen a sense of commitment but also emphasized the urgent need for the government to recognize the critical state of affairs in the nation.
