The All Progressives Congress (APC) has advised organizers of the planned August 1 nationwide protest to drop their demand for President Bola Tinubu to scrap the 1999 Constitution, describing it as unrealistic.
The party made this known after a closed-door meeting with the Forum of APC State Chairmen to discuss the proposed protest.
According to APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, the president alone cannot unilaterally scrap the constitution, as it requires a four-fifths majority in the National Assembly and two-thirds of State Assemblies. Basiru emphasized that the protesters’ demands border on politics and constitutional amendments, which cannot be achieved through protests.
The APC also criticized the protesters’ call to sack the Senate, leaving only the House of Representatives, stating that this would be a contradiction and require a constitutional amendment. The party urged Nigerians to be cautious of the protest, which it believes may lead to violence and disruption of the government’s efforts.
Basiru warned that the government would not tolerate violence and urged protesters to engage in constructive dialogue instead. He stated, “Revolution is not something you use protests for, and where such occurs, it comes with immense violence. This is not a time when our country will require violence and disruption of the efforts done by the President and the administration.”
