Nigeria is bleeding – APC chieftain Babafemi Ojudu reacts to ‘attack’ on Tinubu’s convoy
Former Media Aide Condemns Alleged Attack on President’s Convoy
Former presidential media aide and prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has expressed strong disapproval of an alleged attack on President Bola Tinubu’s convoy by Muslim youths in Abuja.
Reports surfaced on Friday night indicating that some worshippers at the newly renovated Shehu Shagari Central Mosque threw stones at the presidential convoy shortly after Friday prayers. A video depicting youths booing Tinubu and shouting slogans of disapproval as his convoy left the mosque has gained traction on social media, despite the Presidency’s efforts to downplay the incident.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Ojudu condemned the increasing instances of political violence in the nation, emphasizing the urgent need for a response. He pointed to another recent incident where supporters of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) were reportedly attacked during a political gathering in Lagos on Thursday.
Ojudu highlighted these events as evidence of a troubling trend that demands prompt national attention. “Nigeria is bleeding. At a time of hardship, insecurity, and deepening public frustration, our politics is becoming dangerously combustible,” he stated. “Political meetings are attacked, campaign vehicles burned, billboards destroyed, and citizens threatened for their choices.”
He noted that each incident fuels further grievances and retaliation, warning that the current situation could escalate into a larger crisis if left unaddressed. Ojudu called for a transparent investigation regarding the allegations of stones being thrown at the presidential convoy, despite the claims made by presidential aides that such reports are unfounded.
“Citizens have the right to politically reject a president, voice their grievances, and campaign against his re-election. Peaceful dissent is a democratic right,” he stated.
Ojudu condemned the use of violence, whether directed at the president or at opposition supporters, asserting that such acts are assaults on democratic freedoms. He concluded by affirming the shared responsibility to uphold the safety of both the president and citizens, saying, “The President must be safe among the people he governs. The people must be safe when they disagree with him. That is the democratic standard we must defend together.”
