Uju Kennedy Ohanenye, Minister for Women Affairs, and Asari Dakubo, Leader of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force, have organised Nigerian women for a major national peaceful protest.
Uju Kennedy urged for calm while addressing at an Abuja event, saying mothers and youth leaders should support President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by preserving the country’s peace, unity, and progress.
Ohanenye stated that the progress and good governance that Nigerians seek can only be achieved in a peaceful nation, not through protests and disruption.
The minister made the demand during a peace rally in Abuja organised by the Ministry of Women Affairs and Asari Dakubo, the commander of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force, urging Nigerian mothers, brothers, and children to recognise that the narratives are about to change.
She stated, “We are mothers and we don’t want our children to die; we don’t want these protests because they destroy the country, which is why I have called our children, the youth across the country and our women to organize this rally.
“The youths agree with me on making the country better. This is a heartfelt plea to end the protest because the government is devoted to fighting for women, children, and all others; however, this cannot be accomplished if President Ahmed Bola Tinubu does not support me.”
Speaking, Asari Dakubo, the leader of the Niger Delta Volunteer Force, stated that it is unfair for Nigerians to expect the president to cure all of the country’s problems in one year because he is not a wizard.
“President Bola Tinubu was given a four-year mandate, and he still has three more years, therefore he should be given time. Politics should be put aside for the time being in order to support the president and ensure his success.
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), represented by Comrade Lucky Emonefe, has vowed that they will not participate in the planned protests as long as their mothers are opposed to it.
In Essence
The notion of the rally is to public concerns and counter the momentum of planned protests.
By framing the narrative around peace and support for the government’s efforts, the organizers want to dissuade people from participating in the protest.