The Minister of the Federal Capital Terrority, Nyesom Wike, has said that the planned nationwide protest scheduled to begin on August 1, 2024, is political, and “political gimmicks” by some who sought to use the protest to gain popularity.

The minister stated this on Tuesday while addressing journalists following an inspection of the Apo-Karshi Road project, first awarded in 2011.

Nigerians on social media have been mobilising to hold nationwide protests from t August 1, 2024, with the hashtags #TinubuMustGo and #Revolution2024, over the economic hardships.

Wike called for patience among citizens, stating that the administration had only been in office for one year and was working to fix a lot of rot in the country.

“The country was rotten, you know that the country was rotten, and then a government has just come to see what it can do, at least to move from where we are to a certain level. And you say that a miracle must be performed within one year?

“You are here now; we were talking about a contract that was awarded 13 good years ago. What has happened? Nothing. And now a government has come, to say we will fix all these things and we are too much in a haste that it must be done now. That is not possible; the protest is political,” he said.

The minister also argued that the planned protests were ‘political gimmicks’, masterminded by ‘political jobbers’ who sought to gain popularity, ahead of the 2027 elections, adding that the efforts of the administration would take some to show.

“Everyone is not happy that there is hunger, everyone is not happy with the unemployment, but this unemployment was not started or was not created by this administration. The administration is just trying to put things together, which of course will take some time.

“And you know, I agree with Nigerians, when you’re hungry, you don’t want to listen to anything again because you’re hungry but understand that somebody is trying to solve that problem of hunger. So let us not listen to political protests, political jobbers, who just want to be popular. We are going to elections very soon, and these are gimmicks, political gimmicks,” the minister added.

Wike also lamented the politics and lack of capacity that had caused a delay in the completion of the Apo-Karshi Road project awarded in 2011.

He added that he would review the capacity of the contractors of each of the road sections and expect the project to be completed within six to seven months after they had shown the capacity to handle the project.

“It’s unfortunate, very unfortunate. For 13 good years, these roads have been abandoned, and I want to say clearly that part of the problem we have here is politics. Everything we politicise, and that is why the development can not get quickly to our people.

“I want to urge the contractor, that it will no longer be business as usual. I don’t care who you are, I don’t care where you come from, you must show that you will be serious. In the next few weeks, I want to see your equipment on the ground before funds will be released,” he said.