Posted by The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, the leading Igbo social and cultural group, has urged young people in Nigeria to avoid being recruited to create unrest.
The counsel was given on a day when the entire country was waiting anxiously to hear the verdict of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
The stakes are high all over the country, and there are growing rumblings of unrest if the verdict goes against the expectations of some groups.
Both the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party want President Bola Tinubu to be removed from office by the Tribunal. However, Tinubu’s supporters in the All Progressives Congress (APC) believe that he merited his victory.
Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, national president of the Ohanaeze young group, sent a message to the media on Tuesday imploring the young not to engage in violence.
Apparently, politicians will “recruit youths as usual to protest the outcome of the judgement,” Okwu stated.
We caution young people around the country to be strong, though, because it is only during crises like this that politicians pay attention to them. When they finally obtain what they want, they’ll forget about us.
“No young person should willingly become a tool for these feckless politicians.”
He also cautioned the young people that the Appeal Court was only a first instance and that the Supreme Court would have the last say regardless of the verdict.
“We, however, call on security agencies to ensure the safety of citizens by not harassing or maiming any Nigerians today.”