Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has called on Nigerians to peacefully protest against President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Gumi emphasized the importance of peaceful demonstrations as a way to express public grievances to the government.
In a video message, the Islamic scholar reminded viewers that former President Muhammadu Buhari had protested against ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
Gumi said, “Politicians are very stubborn; mass protests are the only thing that disturb them.
“In countries like Sudan and Liberia, conflicts were akin to family feuds, which are very dangerous. But Nigeria is different, with its diverse ethnicities, religions, cultures, tribes, and sects. Protest is the only language the government understands.”
He continued, “In 2015, Muhammadu Buhari and other top officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came out to protest, claiming that the previous government had ruined Nigeria.
Back then, protest was legal; now it’s considered illegal. God willing, the protest will proceed peacefully, and the government must understand and respond positively to the language of protest.”
This appeal comes as activist-politician Omoyele Sowore calls for a revolutionary protest in August to address the country’s hardships.
Recall that President Tinubu along with Professor Wole Soyinka, among other All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftains led an Occupy Nigeria protest in 2012 against ex-president Goodluck Jonathan’s administration’s policy to remove fuel subsidy.
On 1 December 2013, Tinubu wrote, “Nigeria needs a democratic revolution that will unleash infrastructural development and massive industrialization. Nigeria is a blessed.”