Arewa Youths Vow to Proceed with#EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest Despite Rumors

The Arewa Youth Ambassadors, a prominent northern Nigerian group, has reaffirmed its commitment to hold a mass protest on August 1, aimed at expressing discontent with President Bola Tinubu’s policies. This declaration comes in response to circulating rumors suggesting the protest had been called off.

In a statement issued on Saturday, National Coordinator Yahaya M. Abdullahi labeled the rumors as “false and misleading,” urging Nigerians to disregard them. “There is no going back on our words,” Abdullahi emphasized. “The protest is scheduled for August 1, 2024.”

The statement elaborated on the group’s grievances, highlighting the severe economic and security challenges facing Nigeria. “It’s so sad and pathetic that sufferings have become unspeakable and pervasive, while the power that is keeps on looking the other way,” the statement read.

Citing escalating insecurity, food and fuel crises, unemployment, and high living costs, the group asserted that these issues particularly impact northern Nigeria but also afflict the entire nation. The Arewa Youth Ambassadors demanded a reversal of what they described as “anti-people policies” implemented by the Tinubu administration.

The group warned that the country’s current trajectory could lead to a revolution, driven by widespread poverty and hunger. “Nigerians would rather be killed on the streets by the security forces being paid through their taxes than be laid to death by hunger in their homes,” Abdullahi stated, stressing the urgent need for policy changes.

Asserting their right to peaceful protest, the Arewa Youth Ambassadors called for nationwide participation in the August 1 demonstration to challenge the “anti-masses tendencies” of the government.