The Labour Party has reacted to the claims by the presidency that the party and its former-presidential candidate, Peter Obi are behind the planned nationwide protest which is slated to hold in August.
The party through its spokesman, Obiora Ifoh described the claims from Special Adviser to the President in Media and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, as delusional and puerile.
Recall, Onanuga on Saturday alleged that Peter Obi and his supporters are the promoters of the protest.
In what he said was a revelation, Onanuga screamed, “Peter Obi’s supporters are the people planning mayhem in Nigeria: Obi should be held responsible for anarchy,” without clarifying if the security agencies had uncovered any plot.
He directed that “he (Obi) should be held responsible for whatever crisis emanates from the action.”
He described Obi as “a sympathiser” of the cause of Indigenous People of Biafra or IPOB, whose leader Nnamdi Kanu has been in detention facing treason charges.
According to Onanuga, “They (IPOB) are the people spreading the hashtags ‘EndBadGovernance’, ‘Tinubu Must Go,’ and ‘Revolution2024’.”
Reacting, Ifoh in a statementsaid “there is no truth” in what the presidency said describing it as “just the author’s figment of his imagination.”
He said the Labour Party is known for being a very peaceful party and it has at several occasions asked its followers to follow peace at all times.
“We are not known as a lawless group as was evident in the aftermath of the last general election.
“It is therefore delusional for anyone to link our supporters to the planned protest,” adding, the “Labour Party, Peter Obi and our supporters are not planning any protests.”
He argued that “peaceful protests all over the world are initiated and executed by the people and not by the opposition. No opposition has any control over protests.
“Popular protests such as in Kenya, Egypt and several other places were a direct registration of the people’s frustration against the government.
“The people have the right to protest and it is within their constitutional right,” the party said.
He added that “It is therefore puerile for the government or anyone for that matter to begin to look for who to blame for the bad governance that is being witnessed in Nigeria today.
“Nigeria can still get it right if the right policies are initiated.
“We also advise that some aides of the presidency must be cautioned to avoid incendiary pronouncements capable of combusting the nation, all in the name of playing politics,” the party said.