Charley Boy group suspends protest as Niger Delta youths march to Villa

Having survived lynching from Pro-Buhari group in Wuse market Abuja, the Charley Boy – led “Return or Resign” group on Wednesday suspended its 10 days Anti-Buhari protest even as Niger Delta youths paid a visit to the Presidential Villa and drummed support for President Muhammadu Buhari.

Gathering at the Unity fountain around 10am to mark the 100days of Buhari’s absence from Nigeria on medical vacation, the leaders of “OurMumuDonDo” and their counterpart “Return of Resign” groups called off the protest, saying that they are calling off the protest to prevent more casualties just as they appealed to the international community and human rights groups to condemn the actions of government.

This comes 24 hours after group were brutalized at the Wuse market with several persons including the DPO attached to Wuse Market police post sustaining various degrees of injuries.

Announcing the suspension, Charley Boy said that members of the group had received death threats while many have been brutalized.

He said, “We are not deterred by the intimidation and harassment by the sponsored thugs and we cannot be cowed by a few group of people.

“What government want to do is to ensure that we have a clash with the hired crowd and we will not allow that to happen” he said.

Charley Boy equally threatened to drag President Muhammadu Buhari and the federal government to court if he fails to resume or resign as Nigeria’s president within 21 days from August 16, 2017.

The group also disclosed their plans to moved the protests to lagos and also continue in London even as they called off the Abuja strike.

Deji Adeyanju who is also a co-convener said that the break was to help the coalition restrategise on ways it would adopt to continue the protests without putting their members in danger.

He said, “Following the spate of violent attacks by officers of the Nigerian Police Force and then by paid hoodlums on our #ResumeOrResign daily sit-outs and peaceful processions in various parts of Abuja, it has become necessary to announce a suspension of our daily activities in the city.

“This temporary suspension is to enable us restrategise on ways to make our processions less open to such violent attacks and to better ensure the safety of all our members and other participants at our sit-outs and peaceful processions in future.

“This is also to make known our good intention and unreserved commitment to promote peace and unity in our beloved country. We believe this decision will help in dousing the unnecessary ethnic tension being stoked by the cabal holding Nigeria to a ransom.

“Whereas our daily sit-out will be suspended temporarily in Abuja, Sit-Out will continue to hold at the Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, Lagos, between 0900hrs – 1000hrs daily; New York (Front of the Nigerian consulate, 828 Second Avenue); and vigil will also be held in front of the Abuja House in London on Friday August 18th, 2017 by 1700hrs.

“Members of the general public and members of the media are also invited to any of these events to provide support in whatever capacity they may deem fit.

“Finally, we hereby demand that President Buhari returns to the country and resume duty as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria within 21 days from today, or that he resigns completely from office to enable him return to Daura to take care of his ill health.

“Should the president be unable to comply with any of the aforementioned demands within 21 days, we will approach a court seeking an order of mandamus to compel the Federal Executive Council to set up a committee in line with section 144 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), to appraise the health of President Buhari and subsequently determine whether or not he can continue to discharge his presidential functions as enshrined in the constitution” Adeyanju threatened.

Meanwhile the Presidency has reacted to the protests that rocked Wuse market in Abuja describing it as ‘ethnicised’ and selfish just as it criticised the #ResumeOrResign group led by Charly Boy, for taking the protests to a sensitive spot like the Wuse market.

This was disclosed by the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity Femi Adeshina when he received the Niger Delta youths that stormed the Presidential Villa, Abuja Wednesday, drumming support for the ailing President.

The group who were chanting ‘Sai Baba Sai Baba’ and were accompanied by security operatives down to the Presidential Villa, carrying placards with inscriptions like ‘Buhari Was Only Sick Not Corrupt.’

Addressing the protesters, Adesina said, “We are not for ethnic cleavages, we are for one Nigeria. Anybody that attempted to ethnicise protests failed. Because everyone has a right to protest and ethnicity is not something that should be introduced to protest.

“Taking a protest to the market in the first place was wrong, so whoever took the protest to the market place was the one that attempted to make it get out of hand.

“Some people have made efforts to create ethnic cleavages in the country but that what the people from the Niger Delta region did today has reinforced faith that Nigeria will remain one” Adeshina stated.

He assured the protesters that their message of his audience would be conveyed to Buhari in due course.

“Just over the weekend we were with him in London and he told us that he has been following events at home very keenly. We want to thank you very much and urge you to keep this spirit of patriotism.

“This is our country, we have no other one. Whatever we make of it is what we get,” Mr. Adesina added.

The leader of the group, Johnny Michael, expressed their support to the president and wished him recovery.

“We the youth from the Niger Delta are coming to let every Nigerian know that the president has our total support and he has done well for us. Those people protesting for the resignation of the president are anti-party people, they are people that are being sponsored by the opposition party,” Mr. Michael said.