In a statement issued on Tuesday, PRP-Vanguard, Abuja & Diaspora, London reminded the government of President Tinubu that political threats and violence did not amount to work and fodliness, rather they amounted to harm, oppression, and instability.

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) Vanguard has warned the President Bola Tinubu-led administration that no amount of threats of force or sabotage will stop the August 1, 2024 mass protest against exacerbating hardship induced by government anti-people policies.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, PRP-Vanguard, Abuja & Diaspora, London reminded the government of President Tinubu that political threats and violence did not amount to work and fodliness, rather they amounted to harm, oppression, and instability.

The group explained that the August 1 Movement was not anti-democratic, nor was it endorsing military rule in any way, shape or form.

“It is the Tinubu regime itself that is inviting military intervention with its unpatriotic conduct in state management,” the group said. 

“You can’t be starving your citizens via harsh neoliberal economic policies and not expect them to react.

“You can’t be running government as if you are running your personal estate and not produce counter reaction from patriotic citizens.

“You can’t elevate grand corruption into trillions of Naira furtive contract and not provoke concerns from citizens groups.

“You can’t treat public procurement, the central bank, the petroleum, mining, and gas sectors; finance and energy; internal affairs and defence, as your personal fiefdoms, and expect public paralysis from active citizens and peoples. 

“No way,” the Vanguard maintained adding “Filling public office with your cronies is one thing, destroying the livelihoods of millions through your self serving official decisions is another.”

The group regretted that president’s stooges are at it again; “issuing threats, arresting innocent citizens distributing flyers; arranging preemptive protests, with high ranking men and women, honourable and dishonourable; and deploying guns, thugs, and security forces, all to intimidate, sabotage, and subvert the coming August 1 protest against Bad Governance and mass hardship in the country.

“Already, members of the legislature are making a mockery of themselves by offering to slash their basic salaries by 50 percent. This panic measure is meant to deceive and mislead us. But we are not impressed.”

The group view the message and signals coming from the spokespersons of the “executive President is one of cowardly ethnic profiling, delirious threats, and incoherent misinformation

Next, we have seen groups popping up, under the umbrella of purported “259 CSOs” “vowing to resist agents of destabilisation”, as they described the August 1 movement.

“In their eyes, peaceful protest against mass suffering, hunger, and starvation in the land is tantamount to “Plunging Nigeria into chaos.”

“Further, the Department of State Security (DSS) is reported to be on an arrest spree in Kano. Individuals printing, selling, and distributing protest T-shirts have been reported arrested,” the statement added.

“Another band of pro-government minions, operating under the name, “Tinubu Mandate Protection Rally (Part II)”, their third since 2011, according to them, are organising a public lecture with the topic, “Say No to Military Takeover (Part II)”, suggestive of the regime’s mortal fear. 

“This event is to take place in Abuja eight days before the nationwide August 1 protest. That is tomorrow.”

“Others listed as founding fathers and guest speakers in this Tinubu mandate Protection lecture circus include: Alhaji Tanko Yakasai (ex-second republic [1979 – 1983] presidential adviser; Kano state); Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (ex-governor, Osun state); Owelle Rocha’s Okorocha (ex-governor, senator, Imo state); Dr. Kayode Fayemi (ex-governor, Ekiti state; ex-minister mineral development); and Alhaji Asari Dokubo (Rivers state).”

Others the Vanguard listed from the Tinubu-Shettima campaign council; are “APC youth League; Arewa Consultative Forum; United Middle Belt Indigenous People’s Congress (UMBIPC); and a handful of hangers on from the Tinubu campaign entourage; and ultimately, the president’s wife, Chief (Mrs) Folashade Tinubu – Ojo, (Iyaloja -General of Nigeria [for now, later, perhaps, for Africa and the world- Gangnam style]).

“A parade of personalities signifying the trouble with Nigeria. Some of them are unlikely to attend. So much obsession with titles, positions, certificates, high public office, but little productive outcomes to show for it. The very type of non performance that has festered over the years and is now culminating in the August 1 Movement.

We do not quarrel with the reactionary pro government groups for organising their lavish and well funded protests, public lectures, and silly-sully propaganda schemes on behalf of their Godfather.

“However, we expect some full disclosure in terms of cost and public money which, surely, will go into such wasteful and fruitless venture.

Indeed, fruitless in the sense of its false and alarmist premise: “Say no to military takeover.” Perhaps the organisers should have stopped at “Tinubu Mandate Protection” without bringing the military into the picture, as the August 1 Movement is not anti-democratic, nor is it endorsing military rule in any way, shape or form.

“It is the Tinubu regime itself that is inviting military intervention with its unpatriotic conduct in state management. You can’t be starving your citizens via harsh neoliberal economic policies and not expect them to react.”

PRP-VANGUARD, however noted that the August 1 Movement is not merely about President Tinubu and the Lekki Mafia in Aso Rock. “It is about Bad Governance: from the presidency to the state and local governments; and the entire legislative arm of government, not excluding the bureaucracy and the judiciary.

“The emphasis on the presidency, and the executive arm, is due to the enormous powers invested in such offices; and the remifications of its policies.

“Hence, our struggle is just, right and patriotic. It is expressed within the prevailing 1999 constitution (as Amended). And it is unashamedly committed to a peaceful but defiant protest; non violent but active, patriotic and self liberating.

“The signals of violence have come from only one side: that of the government and its rabid supporters. Although some of them mouth slogans such as, “Work and Pray to God Almighty”; in reality they neither work nor care about the unseen Almighty. All they care about is the purse in Aso Rock.”

The statement added, “Political threats and violence do not amount to work and Godliness. They amount to harm doing, oppression, and instability.

“Relying on such tactics, as the Don Corleone himself has done in this country in the last quarter of a century, has become a bad habit that he cannot relinquish now that he is the top dog under mass pressure.

“The Don just cannot make the psychological shift from his past dirty politics to a more civilised approach of meeting the people half way to address and resolve their genuine demands productively.

“The Don thinks that by deploying guns, threats, ethnic profiling, and religious manipulation, spiced with official propaganda about state collapse and war, the August 1 Movement will be intimidated to retreat and surrender

We the freedom fighters of Nigeria will march in the streets of our Motherland on August 1 against Bad Governance, hardship, hunger and starvation; insecurity of life and property; joblessness; and high cost of living.

“No one can stop the Peoples Movement. We will Rewrite the Social Contract between the rulers and the ruled in Nigeria. This is our mission. It is our resolve. Let’s Go,” the statement partly read.