Scores of protesters stormed Defense House, an Annex of Presidential Villa in Maitama on Monday asked President Muhammadu Buhari to take full control of government from the hands of his lieutenants as he started the second term.
The protesters, who were members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of Concerned APC National Stakeholders (CANS), carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘Abba Kyari Must Go’, ‘PMB Must Take Charge of the Government’, ‘We Need Fresh Ideas Not Recycling Men and Women Who Have Spent Over 40 Years in Government’, and ‘Hardwork Must Be Rewarded’ among others.
The CANS Convener, Dr Symeon Chilagorom, led the protest against those he called internal forces pulling down the administration of President Buhari.
Chilagorom said since Nigerians elected President Buhari and not Mamman Daura, Ismaila Funtua, and Abba Kyari, he only has their mandate to govern over the affairs of the nation.
He said the Nigerian people would not accept the repeat of the first term as the slogan of the 2019 campaign focused on the next level which they were still wondering about its destination.
He called on President Buhari to take the wheel of the Nigerian ship and navigate through the murky waters of many challenges to the promised land and not forsake the people ‘in the hands of those without people’s mandate or human sympathy.’
He said, “Fellow Nigerians, we are members of All Progressives Congress (APC) Concerned National Stakeholders, we invite you here today to drive our demands to the whole world, and particularly to President Muhammadu Buhari.”
“Our demand is a simple one, the people of this country elected Muhammadu Buhari as their President, not Mamman Daura, not Ismaila Funtua, and definitely not Abba Kyari.”
“Only President Buhari has our mandate to govern over the affairs of this nation, in light of that, we are simply asking that President Buhari should take back control of his Government and begin to walk his talk during the campaign by delivering on the promises made.”
