Islamic cleric Sheikh Ahmad Gumi has urged Nigerians to engage in peaceful protests against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, emphasizing that ethnic bigotry cannot silence the public.
He reminded viewers that former President Muhammadu Buhari had protested against ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, asserting that peaceful protests are a legitimate way to express grievances and should be respected by the government.
Gumi questioned why individuals who previously led protests against former President Goodluck Jonathan are now categorizing protests based on ethnic biases. He emphasized the significance of peaceful demonstrations as a means for the public to convey their grievances to the government.
In a video message, the Islamic scholar reminded viewers that former President Muhammadu Buhari had also protested against ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration.
Gumi stated, “Politicians are very stubborn; mass protests are the only thing that disturb them.”
He elaborated, “In countries like Sudan and Liberia, conflicts were akin to family feuds, which are very dangerous. But Nigeria is different, with its diverse ethnicities, religions, cultures, tribes, and sects. Protest is the only language the government understands.”
He continued, “In 2015, Muhammadu Buhari and other top officials of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came out to protest, claiming that the previous government had ruined Nigeria. Back then, protest was legal; now it’s considered illegal. God willing, the protest will proceed peacefully, and the government must understand and respond positively to the language of protest.”
It is worth recalling that President Tinubu, along with Professor Wole Soyinka, Pastor Enoch Adebayo of RCC and other All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders, led the Occupy Nigeria protest in 2012 against ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s policy to remove the fuel subsidy.
On December 1, 2013, Tinubu wrote, “Nigeria needs a democratic revolution that will unleash infrastructural development and massive industrialization. Nigeria is blessed.”
