‘It was never about 2baba’, civil society vows to go ahead with Monday’s protest

Coalition in Defence of Nigerian democracy and Constitution (CDNDC), a Civil society group, has vowed to go ahead with Monday’s protest.

Maintaining that the citizen action was never about Innocent Idibia, the Nigerian musician known as 2baba, the group said the exercise “cannot be cancelled”.

On Saturday, 2baba announced the cancellation of the protest in a video posted on his Instagram page.

He said the protest was under serious threat of being hijacked and promised to imminently disseminate more information.

Reacting, in a statement issued on Sunday, CDNDC said Nigerians will “march against bad governance and hunger” in the land.

Ariyo-Dare Atoye, co-convener of the group, who signed the statement, said “hundreds of groups and thousands of Nigerians” who were leading the initiative will not back down.

Atoye said Idibia “merely keyed” into the public discourse on the protest and added that it was never his “singular idea”.

“Our attention has been drawn to news making the rounds that the national-protest-march slated for Monday, February 6, 2017 has been canceled by one Innocent Idibia popularly known as 2Face,” Atoye said.

“This is not true and not the consensus of Nigerians, majority of fellow planners and not a true reflection of the sincere plan to organize this rally in public interest.

“We wish to inform Nigerians and the world at large that this protest against bad governance and hunger was never about 2Face or any individual for that matter. Let it be known that Mr. Idibia merely keyed into an ongoing public discourse over this protest to take a lead. It was never his singular idea but the concerns of the suffering masses.

“Therefore, we wish to inform concerned Nigerians and the international community that there is a national and public consensus for this protest to hold as scheduled in all venues. There are hundreds of groups and thousands of Nigerians who are leading this initiative and we will not back down.

“This is the time to separate real activists from emergency activists. Emergency activists seek mortality with the fear of man, while Revolutionists and real activists seek immortality with the fear of God.

“Consequently, in the exact opposite of what our brother, 2Face said; ‘Dear Nigerians, due to stomach insecurity and bad governance consideration, we hereby announce the continuation of the march as scheduled – on Monday, February 6, 2017’.”