The Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in the 2023 general election, Dumebi Kachikwu has appealed to protesters to sheath their swords and give peace a chance because all 19 people so far killed, are poor Nigerians.
According to him, no child of any politician or "big man" is listed among the dead.
He pleaded with all aggrieved Nigerians especially those who are genuinely interested in ending bad governance, to conserve their energy and wait for the next presidential election to do so through the ballot box.
Kachikwu said this in a statement, he signed in Abuja, on Sunday. He equally urged President Tinubu to reach out and consult more in order to navigate Nigeria's complex leadership and political terrain.
Kachikwu said, "We can't continue killing ourselves. Our streets flow with the blood of the innocent. Over 19 killed in this scam of a protest, all for what? No child of any politician or big man was killed.
"Just the poor, average Nigerian. Only their family members will cry and mourn for them quietly while those who have made billions from this scam laugh to the bank.
"We are witnessing unprecedented hardship right now. The poor can barely eat a meal in two days. Most of us can no longer afford the necessities.
"The population of the poor is increasing by the minute. We as leaders need to come to a table of equity, justice and fairness to address the plight of the downtrodden immediately.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
"It is not Tinubu's problem alone and Tinubu must stop acting like he can do it all by himself.
"He must show leadership and reach out across party lines to get the best and the brightest to a solution roundtable.
"God himself reconciled all men to him through his son Jesus Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.
"If God knows to reconcile us to him, who are you not to reconcile the aggrieved to you? (2 Corinthians 5:18-19) Our nation needs healing and for this to happen, all Nigerians must come to equity with clean hands and sincerity of purpose.
"We don't burn our houses because we want to kill rats and cockroaches: sometimes we just need to make our houses clean so that rats and cockroaches will leave on their own. My earnest prayer is that Nigeria will soon work for every one of us."
The ADC standard bearer urged Nigerians to resist the temptation of throwing our democratic baby with the bath water; by attempting to remove a democratically elected government through the back door.
