Chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) from across Nigeria have vowed to counter any effort to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration under the guise of protests.

Speaking at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja on Monday, Cross River State chapter chairman and Secretary of the APC States Chairmen Forum, Alphonsus Ogar Eba, condemned the planned 10-day protest set for August 1 to August 10.

Various groups are organising nationwide protests in response to rising costs of goods and services, insecurity, food crises, and poverty.

However, the APC chairmen warned that violent protests would be counterproductive. They announced plans to mobilise party structures from ward to national levels to highlight President Tinubu's achievements.

"As the ruling party, we are prepared to meet every contestant in 2027 but will not allow undemocratic forces to topple the government we worked hard to elect. That would be a disservice to the good people of Nigeria who gave us this mandate," Eba stated.

He said from July 29 to August 11, 2024, APC structures will engage in peaceful rallies to support Tinubu's projects and defend democracy.

"All our party members and concerned Nigerians in other political parties are enjoined to stand firm in protecting democracy," Eba added.

He emphasised that while protest is a constitutional right, it must be done lawfully, noting that "security reports suggest that the proposed protests could be hijacked by unpatriotic individuals to perpetrate violence, similar to the 2020 EndSARS protests and recent events in Kenya."

Eba concluded that "this will worsen our already challenging socio-economic situation. We appeal to all Nigerians to avoid violent protests and safeguard our democracy."