The Zamfara State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has cautioned the state citizens against participating in the planned nationwide protest over economic hardship.

In a statement on Saturday, the state APC chairman, Tukur Danfulani, said the hoodlums would likely hijack the protest.

Mr Danfulani said he had attended a meeting between state executives and 36 governors at the APC national headquarters in Abuja regarding the planned nationwide protest. He said the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, chaired the meeting.

“I find it very imperative to lend our party’s voice to make this call due to the insecurity situation bedevilling our dear state of Zamfara and the need for Nigeria’s stability as one united nation.

“There’s the likelihood of criminals who have continued to make life highly unbearable to the people taking over the protest and making the security situation worse.

“As good citizens, let’s think wisely to avoid wanton destruction of our country in the name of protest,” Mr Danfulani stated.

Mr Danfulani said most countries that had carried out such protests in the past were now experiencing more difficulties than what caused the protests.

He added, “Like in Sudan, the people protested the hike of bread price but now they are buying bread at five times the cost before the protest price.”

The APC chairman recounted that properties, including public facilities, were destroyed, and many citizens were rendered homeless after the protests.

“The same thing in Libya, Syria, and most current one in Kenya, so let’s resolve our grievances through negotiation and dialogue.

”This is because no country will progress through protest that will lead to anarchy if hijacked by hoodlums,” the APC Chairman explained.

According to Mr Danfulani, although the protest expresses the citizens’ constitutional rights, all the channels of amicable resolution of the problem cannot be said to have been exhausted.

He said, “As Muslims, Islam abhors protests, and for the fear that no one can tell the extent of damage such protests could cause, it is better to find other avenues of settlement.”

Describing President Bola Tinubu as one with listening ears, Mr Danfulani said, “He is the only president that took the Nigerian governors to the Supreme Court in order to ensure that the government at the grassroots is fully functioning.”

”I believe that with the local government areas having full autonomy, issues of unemployment, insecurity, hardship, and other criminalities will become history in the country,” said Mr Danfulani.

Mr Danfulani urged that some enemies of the country should not instigate Nigerians.

”They are abroad enjoying with their families and cannot even come near the protest venues but can only watch and comment on social media,” he added.

(NAN)