#RevolutionNow: 9 northern groups pull out of Aug 22 protest

Nine groups out of the 15 that formed the Joint Northern Action Front to participate in a planned revolutionow protest in some northern states on Aug. 22, have pulled out.


The Secretary of the groups, Tanko Mustapha made the declaration in a joint press statement issued on Wednesday in Kaduna.


“We are pleased to announce today that these nine groups have resolved to pull its members out of tomorrow’s planned protests called by the Joint Northern Action Front which we were part of,” he said.


Mustapha said their withdrawal from the protests was based on some considerations.


“We have reviewed the planned protests by critically looking into the nature, salient intentions and most importantly the likely negative consequences on the North in particular and democracy in general.


“We discovered that the main intention of the protests is far from checking government excesses that are of national concerns, but rather to further the hidden agenda of some people.


“Our concern is that the nature of the protests may very likely not be peaceful and it will not only be unproductive but may have negative consequences on the north and our democracy as well.


“We weighed all the possibilities against the background of its dangerous consequences in countries like Libya and Yemen who embarked on such moves blindly.


“After candidly weighing the pros and cons, we arrived at the conclusion that the exercise is ill-informed, in bad taste, counterproductive, self-serving as well as an ill wind that will not blow anybody any good.


“Despite the lapses in governance in all aspects, especially in security, economy, and infrastructure, we wish to align with the patriotic position of the apex conglomerate of groups in the north, the CNG, that every issue can be discussed and resolved in a civilized manner and never by violence.


“We today, therefore, declare a complete pullout from participation in the organization and call on the protesters and all people of the north to disregard the calls,” he said.


Mustapha called on the government to as a matter of urgency, address all the observed lapses and misgovernance to avoid uprisings.