The Yoruba Revolutionary Movement has said the contradictory statements emanating from the quarters of Mujaheed Asari Dokubo and Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Ighoho, over the nationwide protest, tagged: #EndBadGovernment, was a betrayal of the trust of Nigerians.
This was contained in a statement signed by the National Coordinator of YOREM, Comrade Wale Balogun, on Monday.
The statement, made available to The Eagle Online, stated that the current suffering and unprecedented hardship in Nigeria warranted the need for Nigerians of conscience to rise and say Enough was Enough “to the unmitigated disaster that Ahmed Bola Tinubu led APC presidency anti-poor policies and programmes has turned out to be”.
The coordinator also condemned the President’s broadcast, which he sees as disdain for Nigerians.
Balogun said: “Nigerian youths gave more than a month’s notice before they trooped out into the streets on Thursday 1st of August, 2024.
“In its usual characteristics, the Emilokan presidency and the APC lied to the world that the organisers of the protests were faceless, yet four patriotic Nigeria youths were sued to court, where a bọlẹkaja judgement was delivered by a compromised judge to stop the democratic rights of the citizenry to peaceful protests.
“It should be noted that there was a court of appeal ruling that Nigerians have the democratic rights to protest any forms of government anti-people policies and programmes, in a suit filed by the late Convener of the United Action for Democracy (UAD), Barr. Bamidele Aturu. The ruling has not been vacated by any court of competent jurisdictions or the Supreme Court to date. Thus, the unlawful ruling was defied by the organisers of the protests who seized the streets as scheduled.”
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According to Balogun, Yorem was also displeased with the roles played by some self-determination agitators like Dokubo and Sunday Ighobo in the heat of the protesting, stressing that actions exposed their narrow-mindedness and lack of a proper understanding.
He opined as shameless of such agitators, who used to claim to be liberation strugglers, joining the Tinubu’s administration, to threaten protesters.
He explained that the protest, which he described as peaceful, was meant to draw the government’s attention to the untold hardship of hunger, starvation and other forms of deprivation in the land.
He further said: “Sunday Adeyemo Ighobo either out of ignorance or being compromised needs to be told in clear terms that his NO TO #badgovernmentnational protests has exposed that he lacks the understanding and intellectual capacity to lead Yoruba cause for self-determination.
“Is it not unfortunate for a self-acclaimed liberation fighter to stop the people from expressing their democratic rights to peaceful protests in a supposed democratic government?
“Was that not an act of ingratitude to a people who not only empathised but condemned the assassination attempt on his life? Was that not an act of betrayal for him to side with the oppressive class against thousands of admirers and supporters who stood by and solidarity with him when the same elite ruling class he wine and dine with today, wanted to extradite or probably have him killed?
“The wind has blown open the rumpus of the hen, and we have seen that Igboho is not dedicated to the cause he championed and has gone back to his vomits as a willing tool and political thug of the ruling class. I dare say with all sense of historical responsibility that Sunday Adeyemo Ighoho cannot be trusted and entrusted to lead a genuine struggle for the sovereign state of the Oodua Republic.”
Balogun emphasised that it was in the same vein Asari Dokubo further affirmed his consistent inconsistencies with his No To Protests ranting in the South South.
He added: “The ever-vibrant youths from that part of the country, have shown that no political merchant will be entrusted with the political economic navigation of their destiny. Dokubo’s case is akin to that of a Chief priest who divines that rain will be an aberration for months but before he packed his divination tools, heavy downpour becomes the order of the day.
“To all the agberos particularly Team Lagos, it is shameful that you have turned against your brothers’ and sisters’, who were exercising their democratic rights to peaceful protests.
“Be reminded that in the recent past members of the Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) were dreaded by all and sundry, but today, the stark reality is that the OPC dey their day and the people dey their day.
“It is a common adage that when you chase a goat to the wall, it will eventually turn against you. My appeal to you all is to allow those who are not happy with the economic hardship in the country to express their displeasure in peaceful protests.
“If you so wish, why not organise your Ebilokan, ebi lọrẹ ará (hunger is a welcome development) protests? No one will disturb you. Take note, no one has a monopoly of violence as a people united can never be defeated.”
Balogun noted that President Tinubu’s response to the ongoing peaceful protests in the country four days after it started was nothing but a clear disdain for Nigerians.
He maintained: “The president has shown through the broadcast that the lives and social well-being of the citizens do not matter to him. The president has dared the people, and the subtle threat for the police and other fascist thugs to unleash terror on peaceful protesters is clear.
“The protesters and all Nigerians should know that the pauperised and dehumanised majority shouldn’t have expected anything better from a president who gladly foisted unprecedented pangs and pains on them. YOREM stands behind patriots who are saying Enough is Enough to hunger, suffering and hardship. Despite personal threats to me and my family, I stand by protesting youths behind the barricade.”
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