The Lagos State Government has distanced itself from the rumoured Oro festival, which is set to take place from August 1 to 15 and is clashing with the planned #EndBadGovernance protest.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s spokesperson, Gboyega Akosile, in a telephone conversation with PUNCH Online, likened it to other religious activities held across the country.
Akosile said no one questions the government when other religions hold their activities, noting that the same respect should be maintained for traditional worshippers because they have the right to worship according to the constitution and can go about their lawful exercises.
“Oro festival is like Muslim and Christian activities and has no business with Lagos State government interference. We don’t have a hand in how any religious group goes about their lawful activities,” Akosile said.
“The protesters have their rights just like the traditional worshippers who want to perform their activities too. What is our business in that?”
Akosile also acknowledged the protesters’ rights, stating that “if anybody wants to protest, they should come out and carry out their right lawfully by not disrupting the business activities in the state.”
He warned that the state government will not allow the peace of the state to be disrupted, noting that “no responsible government will allow it.”
Akosile also vowed to prevent a recurrence of the 2020 #EndSARS protest, which resulted in destruction and the loss of lives.
The planned protest, scheduled to take place across Nigeria, aims to address economic hardship and has gained traction on social media.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has appealed to the protesters to shelve their plans, promising to address their grievances.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has backed the protest, criticising the government’s attempt to suppress it.
Atiku criticised Tinubu’s government for attempting to suppress the protesters, describing it as an exercise in futility.
He noted that Nigerians, including supporters of Tinubu and the ruling APC, are affected by the hunger, anger, and hopelessness caused by the government’s incompetence and cluelessness.
Atiku emphasised that the right to protest is enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution and affirmed by the courts, citing Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and association.
