“It is starting from and in Abuja!” – Sowore Dares Wike Over Protest Ban

Former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general election, Omoyele Sowore, has openly challenged the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, regarding his recent proclamation that protests will not be allowed in Abuja on August 1.

Sowore took to social media on Friday to announce that the planned nationwide protests would indeed begin in Abuja. “It is starting from and in Abuja!” he declared.

This announcement comes in response to Wike’s statement on Thursday, in which he declared that August 1 would be reserved for the chairmen of the six Area Councils of the FCT to present certificates of recognition to traditional rulers, thereby prohibiting any protests on that day. Wike made this announcement following the FCT Security Council meeting in Abuja, where he subsequently briefed journalists on the council’s decisions.

The upcoming protests, under the banner #EndBadGovernance, are scheduled to take place from August 1 to 10, 2024. The organizers, who have remained anonymous, are voicing concerns over the widespread hunger and escalating inflation in Nigeria.