The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Lagos State on Sunday urged individuals and groups planning to stage a protest against hardship in August to shelve the plan in the interest of peace and stability.

The state IPAC chairperson, Temilola Akinade, made the appeal in an interview with journalists in Lagos.

She said while it was the right of anyone or group to stage protests to vent anger against certain government’s policies or actions, doing so at this time was bad.

“We are not saying protest is bad, but at this time and with the current situation in the country, it could set the nation on fire,” she stated.

Ms Akinade said the country was already grappling with too many challenges, adding that the protest could be hijacked to cause loss of lives and destruction, like during the EndSARS protests in 2020.

The IPAC boss said, “The umbrella body of political parties in Lagos will not support any protest that can jeopardise peace because there can be no progress in an atmosphere of violence.

“The 2020 EndSARS has left horrible marks and caused setbacks to Nigeria, especially Lagos, because hoodlums and enemies of the state saw it as an avenue to cause chaos and breakdown of law and order.”

Ms Akinade said Lagos had always been the epicentre of protests and had suffered losses to violent ones.

The chairperson implored youths and groups to explore dialogue or other peaceful means to express themselves and demand action from the government rather than employ an action that could be counter-productive.

Ms Akinade, however, urged government at all levels to do more to alleviate the suffering of citizens owing to economic hardship.

(NAN)