Charly Boy seeking attention -APC youths
From MAGNUS EZE, Abuja
Large number of protesters of the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, Monday stormed the streets of Abuja, campaigning against the long absence of President Muhammadu Buhari from the country.
The group made of the Concerned Nigerians and “Our Mumu Don Do” Advocacy, defied the early morning rains to march from the Unity Fountain, along Shehu Shagari Way to the Presidential Villa gate, where they addressed their members.
But in reaction, the All Progressives Congress Youths Renaissance described one of the leaders of the anti-Buhari protest, weird musician Charles Oputa (Charly Boy), as a serial attention seeker, even as they accused some APC chieftains and members of the opposition of sponsoring the protest.
Leaders of the protest, former Director of New Media at the headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Deji Adeyanju and Charly Boy, described Buhari’s absence from office for over 90 days as an anomaly that was only enriching few individuals against the collective interest of the country.
They noted that the few individuals, who see themselves as cabal in the Aso Villa were profiting immensely from the president’s ill health, adding that was why they had continued to stage-manage the situation instead of telling Nigerians the truth.
Adeyanju, the leader of Concerned Nigeria Group, said that since these individuals had refused to allow democracy in Nigeria survive, members of the groups will continue their sit-out protest at the Unity Fountain, until the truth about the Buhari’s health is revealed.
According to him, the group’s demands are that the president returns to the country or the truth about his health revealed and if he is adjudged unfit to continue to lead, he must resign immediately to allow Acting President Yemi Osinbajo take over to steer the ship of governance, as substantive president.
“The president cannot continue to remain in London infinitum, and Osinbajo cannot continue infinitum as Acting President. They are holding the country to ransom, it is not by force to remain a President; it is time to invoke section 144 of the constitution. You can imagine what happened after the Anambra attack, the cabal in Aso Rock who are bent on holding the country to ransom, bye-passed Osinbajo to issue a statement” he stated.
Also speaking, leader of “Our Mumu Don Do” group, Oputa explained that he had to come and support the youths in demanding for the right thing to be done, because the future of the younger generation was bleak with the way politicians were handling issues of governance.
He added that the youths of Nigeria had the responsibility to demand for accountability from those leading the country, whom according to him, were bent on protecting their selfish interest against the development of the nation.
Meanwhile, the group ended up registering their demands on the road leading to the Aso Villa as they were denied access by security agents who blocked the major roads. They dispersed without any government representative attending to them.
However, the APC Youths Renaissance in a statement by its leader, Collins Edwin, insisted that Buhari will not resign from office and cautioned Charly Boy to stop making ‘senseless noise’.
“For Charly Boy and his sponsors to organise such protest against our darling President, we have resolved and are going to stage a counter protest that will show the world that President Muhammadu Buhari is truly loved by Nigerians despite the media gang up against him.
“We have also collected the comprehensive list of politicians within and outside the APC who are sponsoring the protest and negative publicity against Buhari and will make it public for Nigerians to see who and who is actually preventing good governance from happening in the country,” Edwin stated.