BY AKINWALE ABOLUWADE, IBADAN
Some aggrieved youths took to the streets in parts of the country on Democracy Day to register their misgivings against the state of the nation.
In Lagos, Ibadan and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, hundreds of youths embarked on protest against earlier warnings by the police that rally should not be held in any part of the country on Saturday.
The police had said on Friday that some aggrieved politicians planned to hijack the rally.
On Saturday, in Lagos and Abuja, the police reportedly fired teargas to disperse protesters as other Nigerians stayed indoors in compliance with earlier warnings.
Protesting youths defied police warnings in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital by taking to the streets as early as 7am.
They marched from Mokola to Sango area as they repeatedly chanted ‘Buhari must go’.
Some of them claimed that President Muhammadu Buhari had failed the citizens, hence insisted that he should bow out of government peacefully.
The protest in Ibadan was peaceful as they were not repelled by security agents.
Commercial motorcyclists and others were prevented from joining the protest in a bid to prevent the procession from being hijacked.
One of the protesters, Tayo Ogunwale, noted that the situation of the country had never been this bad since he was born.
Ogunwale said, “They cannot stop us from expressing our minds. The country is upside down and the President keeps giving excuses.
“Despite his collosal failure which is obvious to even his supporters, he has never accepted that he failed us.
“He spent the first four years blaming his failings on the PDP. Most of those in PDP are also to be blamed anyway but Buhari was voted massively but see what he has done to us. There is killing everyday and Nigeria is at the verge of disintegration but he still believes he has done well.”
Another protester who identified herself as Aisat, expressed anger against President Muhammadu Buhari for deeming it proper to ban Twitter, saying, “As a cake maker, I make some sales on Twitter but he (President Buhari) woke up one day and banned it. What type of leader is that? There is serious hunger in Nigeria and the insecurity is indescribable. May God save us from this disaster.”
Meanwhile, a Non-Governmental Organisation, the Progressive Students Movement, has urged the citizens to have sober reflection on the occasion of Democracy Day.
The President of PSM, Mr Bestman Okereafor, said, “It is disheartening that our democracy is under threat following the rate of insecurity nationwide.
“The rate of abduction being carried out for ransom is increasing on daily basis because it is lucrative for the perpetrators.
“PSM is calling on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Usman Baba, to as a matter of urgency, put an end to this growing menace of insecurity which is inimical to our peaceful coexistence as a nation.”
