In a press conference today, the Labour Party Lagos Patriot, also known as Yoruba Obidient, announced their decision to withdraw support from the proposed national protest. The caucus, which represents the majority of the opposition party members in Lagos State, emphasized their stance against using Lagos as the battleground for the demonstration.
Hon. Aboderin Aduragbemi, the coordinator of the Lagos Patriot LP, signed the statement, which outlined the group’s concerns about the potential for peaceful protests to be hijacked and turned violent. The statement read, “We believe that it is within the right of the citizens to have a peaceful protest; however, we know from past experience that the peaceful protest will be hijacked and made to become violent so as to portray the group/Labour Party in a bad light.”
The Labour Party Lagos Patriots encouraged their members across all 20 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 37 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Lagos, as well as other Lagosians, to refrain from participating in the protest. Instead, they urged citizens to engage constructively with the government to ensure the delivery of quality democratic dividends.
“We don’t believe one needs to politicize every situation in our nation and take advantage of the masses, especially when the government is doing their best to manage the current economic situation,” the statement continued. The group stressed their commitment to objective criticism and opposition without engaging in tribalism or a “bring them down” mentality.
Recognizing the current administration’s plea for time to address issues, the Labour Party Lagos Patriots called for patience, stating, “We think this opportunity should be given to them before the citizens can occupy the street in the name of #Endbadgovernanceprotest.”
