National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Former Niger Delta freedom fighter Mujahid Asari-Dokubo has issued a stern warning to the organisers of the planned nationwide protest against economic hardship scheduled for August 1, urging them to stay away from the Niger Delta region.
Asari-Dokubo criticised the protest’s agenda, arguing that it fails to address the specific issues faced by the Niger Delta’s residents.
He accused the protestors of being more interested in exploiting the region’s oil and gas resources than in genuinely addressing local concerns, labeling them as “anarchists.”
Speaking at the “Niger Delta Sensitisation Conference for Ethnic Nationalities, Youths, and Women” in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Asari-Dokubo expressed his opposition to the protest, stating, “I and those who support me will not participate in any protest.
If anyone has the right to protest, I also have the right to resist it. Where their right ends, mine begins.”
He criticised the protestors for using tactics previously employed against former President Goodluck Jonathan, who hails from the Niger Delta, now targeting President Bola Tinubu.
Asari-Dokubo urged the public not to be swayed by promises, emphasising that the protestors’ demands do not include the region’s specific needs.
Asari-Dokubo further remarked, “The same individuals who protested against Jonathan are now targeting Tinubu.
“When you allow yourself to be manipulated, it will continue. Our needs are not part of their demands, but they want our resources.”
He recalled the violent aftermath of the #EndSARS protest in Oyigbo and cautioned against similar unrest in the Niger Delta.
“Those who brought unrest to Oyigbo received their due consequences. The same fate awaits any protestors here,” he warned.
Asari-Dokubo concluded by asserting that such protests are counterproductive and detrimental to the region.
He urged those who have lost elections to wait for the next electoral cycle and not resort to disruptive measures.
