Ahead of the planned nationwide protest in August, the Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has appealed to Nigerians to be patient with the Federal Government. The minister made this plea on Wednesday after a meeting with the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.

Briefing journalists after the meeting, Idris stated that the Federal Government was engaging with all stakeholders on the matter.

“You see, the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu believes in everyone’s freedom within the laws to do what they think is right for them. Therefore, the President is not an opponent of protests of any kind but is an opponent of violence and anything that will negatively impact the wellbeing of Nigerians,” the minister was quoted as saying in a statement by his spokesperson, Rabiu Ibrahim.

“He believes, and he has always said, that within the tenets of democracy, you have every right to do whatever you want, provided that right does not infringe on another person’s rights.

“Why everybody is very cautious and very wary of this national protest is because we have seen what has happened around the world. We know that it’s almost impossible to hold this protest and then have peace at the end of the day. We cannot do that because some people are waiting to take the law into their own hands.”

He noted that while Nigerians have the constitutionally guaranteed right to protest, the government was aware some people were planning to hijack the demonstration to cause trouble.

According to the minister, the Bola Tinubu administration is committed to ensuring that these activities do not disrupt public order or violate the rights of others.

He argued that the President is fully aware of the genuine concerns and complaints expressed by Nigerians across the nation and is actively working to implement effective policies aimed at alleviating the challenges faced by the citizenry and bringing relief to all Nigerians.

President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to shelve a planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest slated for next month. He requested the protest organisers to postpone their plans and await his response to their complaints. This plea was conveyed in a message by the Information Minister, who briefed journalists at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday.

“The issue of the planned protest, Mr President does not see any need for that. He has asked them to shelve that plan and to await the government’s response to all their pleas,” the minister said.

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has urged the Federal Government to identify the leaders of the planned protest and engage in dialogue with them instead of issuing threats.

“This time around, the government should try to identify the leaders of the movement and then engage them, and then the questions be raised. There are demands that are being made, and the government should address these demands,” he said on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

“Between now and the first of August is still a long way, and I understand the government is going to address the nation. It is also important for governors to really come out and let the people know what they are doing to address hardship in the country, which nobody is denying.”

Angry youths have decided to embark on a nationwide protest over the hardship, poverty, and high cost of living, among other economic issues.