Wike visits Tinubu amid nationwide protests
CHIGOZIE AMADI
As protests kicked off nationwide, on Thursday, the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, was spotted at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday afternoon.
At minutes past 04:00 pm local time, our correspondent spotted the former Rivers State Governor alighting from a black Toyota Prado Sports Utility Vehicle and was ushered into the President’s office.
Though the topic of their discussion remains unknown as of this report, it is most likely connected to the ongoing protests in the nation’s capital.
However, Wike did not brief journalists after the meeting.
Amid the nationwide protests which began on August 1, the FCT saw massive demonstrations from crowds who thronged the central business district and suburbs as security officials fired tear gas to disperse protesters.
The PUNCH observed persons believed to be thugs wielding sticks and throwing stones at motorists within Abuja metropolis.
There was a heavy security presence at Eagles Square, the proposed rendezvous point for the protest as armed personnel barricaded the route leading to the Presidential Villa.
Our correspondent also narrowly escaped to safety as thugs directly hurled stones and chanted anti-government slogans.
Nigerians are protesting the rising cost of living, organisers say.
The protest, tagged #EndBadGovernance, has gained traction on social media and was scheduled to occur in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Africa’s most populous country is facing what has been described as its worst economic headwinds in a generation.
Upon assuming office 14 months ago, President Bola Tinubu announced an end to petrol subsidies, which, he said, would save the government monies for infrastructural expansion. He also unified the foreign exchange rates, which he argued would curb currency arbitrage.
However, these policies sparked a collateral slump in the value of the naira as food prices soared. More so, widespread insecurity in many farming communities has displaced farmers, contributing to higher food prices.
The protest follows similar demonstrations in Kenya, from which experts say Nigerians may have drawn inspiration.
Kenyan youths have staged massive protests for weeks, forcing President William Ruto’s government to backtrack on tax hikes.
Organisers used social media platforms like X and Instagram to mobilise millions of young Kenyans for protests, a strategy similar to that deployed on Nigerian social media.
In October 2020, Nigeria saw massive protests nationwide when thousands of young people demonstrated against police brutality under the hashtag #EndSars.
The protests, which were later hijacked, turned violent, with billions of naira worth of properties destroyed and bloodshed, which organisers blamed on the security forces who denied using live rounds
