The National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Shehu Gabam, has called on President Bola Tinubu to directly address the nation ahead of the planned nationwide hunger protests, slated to begin on August 1, 2024. Gabam made this appeal during the Politics Today program on Channels Television.
The planned protests, which will run from August 1-10, 2024, have sparked widespread discussion among Nigerians over the past week. Despite the growing attention, no group has officially claimed responsibility for organizing the protests, which are being promoted under the hashtag #EndBadGovernanceinNigeria.
Gabam emphasized the importance of the President addressing the nation to dispel misconceptions and calm the populace. He criticized the reliance on intermediaries for disseminating information during such a critical time.
“What I expect this President to do as the number one citizen is to address the country. This is my first expectation. All other things are secondary layers. Let me tell you what it would do; people are angry, and so many perceptions have been created out there,” Gabam said. “He needs to clear this perception that no, Nigerians, I know what is going on, I have access to all your complaints, and I will address them. Relying on second layers of dishing out information at this critical time is not advisable for him.”
Gabam commended the efforts of security agencies and traditional rulers in trying to dissuade Nigerians from protesting but stressed the need for the government to engage in dialogue with the identified organizers of the protests.
“If they know the organizers, what they need to do as a government is a quick intervention. Sit down with them, dialogue with them, and find out what the problems are. And of course, if there are criminal elements that will hijack the process, the essence of having security all over the world is to create deterrence,” he said.
Gabam made it clear that the SDP would not participate in the August 1 protest but expressed support for peaceful protests that align with constitutional provisions.
“We have drawn lines of our endorsements, in line with the provisions of the Constitution, where citizens are guaranteed to protest peacefully by disagreeing with the policies and programs of the government,” he added.
As the nation approaches the protest date, Gabam’s call for direct presidential communication underscores the heightened tensions and the urgent need for proactive leadership.
