THE Presidency has praised Nigerians for rising against “the chaotic rout of protesters assembled at the Unity Fountain demanding the return of President Buhari, dismissing such demands as unlawful.”
A group led by popular musician, Charlie Boy, began a sit out action at the Unity Fountain, Abuja in the last few days, demanding the return of the president from his medical vacation or his resignation.
The Presidency statement noted that Shehu met the pro-Buhari protesters near the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday to also assure that any attempt to derail the war against corruption “using subterfuge and bluff will not succeed.”
Addressing them, he dismissed the the “return or resign” agitation as an illegal assembly stealthily organized to deliver a body blow to the war against corruption.
The statement added: “It might be taken for granted that the beneficiaries of the old order are fighting back. We have been warned that corruption will fight back.
“In a country where just one woman for having the opportunity to serve as minister has N47.2 billion and 487.5 million Dollars of public resources in cash and property traced to her by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, you don’t expect the beneficiaries of that order to allow the Buhari administration some peace.
“They want to distract us. But what the Acting President wants to assure patriotic citizens is that the government will not bend.
“As far the President is concerned, he has done the needful by handing the reins of authority to the Vice President.
“Since the law of the country does not give a time limit for the President’s return, it cannot be imposed by a saber-rattling group or individual.”
The Presidential spokesman commended the protesters for being orderly in their demonstration and urged them to shun all provocations by opponents of government.
He further stated: “By divine intervention, Muhammadu Buhari unexpectedly got elected with the ostensible mandate of reversing national decline and securing its future.
“He got into the Villa through democratic victory at election. Anybody desiring to replace him, whether you are wrestler, a hairdresser or a musician, you should go through that process. In a democracy, threats don’t work.”
The statement quoted the convener of the group Comrade Prince Goodluck Obi as saying that his group has “absolute faith and trust in President Buhari’s administration not machinations of corruption and destabilization.
“We are saying from today, 10th August 2017, we will be holding a rally/protest march here at Unity Fountain for the next one month and beyond in order to send clear and unambiguous message to agents of chaos and unity, that Nigerians are solidly behind President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration based on our democratic mandate entrusted to him on 28th March 2015.”
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