Dr. Josef Onoh, the spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council in the south east, has revealed that Senator Bola Tinubu’s raised hands during the national anthem at the party’s presidential rally in Port Harcourt, Rivers state, was a deliberate act of protest against the suffering of Nigerians due to fuel and currency scarcities.

Onoh noted that Tinubu’s gesture was a symbolic statement of his belief in education and freedom fighting, as represented by his cap of broken shackles.

However, Onoh criticized Dino Melaye for mocking Tinubu’s gesture and betraying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the process due to what he termed as Melaye’s “hubris syndrome mental illness.”

In Onoh’s statement, which was made available to The Guardian on Sunday, he said: “Once again in defiance to some elements who have been working tediously to place innocent Nigerians in shackles at this critical period Nigerians are looking forward to renew hope in our great country Nigeria. Tinubu once again stood against these forces unlike some who will go for the extremely dramatic tantrums without understanding the purpose of what they are fighting for because through their lives they have never fought for anything that wasn’t beneficial to their existence.

“Some rural local champions commonly emerge to rub wings with the city boys and after basking in the temporal euphoria of their upgraded day pass in the city they get confused by the city lights, bustling lifestyle and hurriedly rush back to Ayetoro Gbede in Ijumu Local Government Area of kogi state to showcase to his fellow local champions that he is now rolling with the better class. Such is, has, and will always be the genetic characteristics of Dino Melaye.

“Unfortunately in his attempt to ridicule Asiwaju Bola Tinubu by raising his hands up, not holding a walking stick neither was he intelligent enough to make a fist during his self embarrassment brings us back to my earlier statement on a rebel without a cause.

“I understand the deteriorating effects of Hubris syndrome which I earlier diagnosed Dino Melaye of suffering from, especially when he self inflicted himself with the pain of collapsing multiple times on the floor during one of their campaign rallies, which clearly his Johnny Bravo body frame took a lot of impact resulting currently in his protest posture without understanding the reason for the act.

“Tinubu’s act of defiance during the National anthem in Port Harcourt rally may seem funny to those who have no idea of the reasons behind it, I’m glad I’m privileged to know his reasons and this simple act has preserved a moment, a still shot of a time and place. We, the future, look at it and think we know not just that one moment, but everything that lives along the edges, outside the frame.

“It’s wishful thinking, of course. One snapshot, one item, can hardly tell us everything we need to know about all of the names, faces, sounds that make up history. But there are some personal acts of defiance that try to, actions that try to give their time a shape, make it three-dimensional, and make it easier for the future to understand it.

“Most especially, Comrade Adams Oshiomole was already calming nerves down prior to the rally still tried to contain Asiwaju’s act of defiance during the National anthem to ensure the rally will end peacefully.

“I’m glad I didn’t join him in the podium as I would have joined in same act of silent protest but I’m proud Jagaban did it for all of us.

“Fela Anikulapo-Kuti remained a conscious rebel. The themes of his rebellion never changed, and the anarchy which often seemed to surround his life and music was always tempered by the fundamental truths which he sought to elucidate with regard to both African society and the ongoing exploitation of Nigerians, his protests focused on specific instances of what he considered to be government hypocrisy and the betrayal of national potential.

“The strategic show of defiance as was exhibited by Asiwaju is part of a continued long global tradition of silent protest, in which activists register their discontent with wordless marches and long hunger strikes, by kneeling down or taping their mouths shut, or—in certain punitive societies—fighting propaganda and lies with blank pieces of paper as was done when Protesters marched in support of Black rights during the Silent Parade in New York City on July 28, 1917.

“Other protests have employed more obvious symbols of repression, including handcuffs, blindfolds and gags. The last of these became widespread as a political prop following the trial of the Chicago Seven (originally eight), antiwar protesters who were charged with inciting a riot at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. During the 1969 trial, the judge ordered defendant Bobby Seale to be gagged and chained to his chair.

“Decades before football player Colin Kaepernick created a stir by kneeling during the national anthem, Black athletes silently used their status to fight oppression. At the awards ceremony for the 200-meter dash at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, medalists Tommie Smith and John Carlos each raised a clenched gloved fist in a call for global human rights.

“Tinubu during the Port Harcourt rally decided to raise his hands up holding his walking stick with his palms open, intentionally refused to make a fistful grip because that will defeat the purpose of the message he was sending across of his unshackled insignia which now is his political national symbol. His message was simple, that the actions of some disgruntled elements especially some who lost in the presidential primaries turned around to inflict hardship on innocent Nigerians.

“Tinubu’s silent protest during the National anthem was directed towards the hardship Nigerians are facing, the supposed fuel scarcity, the naira redesign and policy which has pitched the people against the government, Asiwaju is against anything or policy that will bring hardship to Nigerians whereas Dino Melaye who by his ignorance and by the positive accidental benefits of the side effects of his hubris syndrome raised his hands in silent protest to the same hardship the fuel and naira redesign policy is inflicting on Nigerians while delusionaly thinking he was mocking Tinubu.

“The PDP presidential candidate has thrown his support on the ongoing harsh policies Nigerians are facing at this time when even governors of states controlled by the All-Progressives Congress including Our presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu are joining the public outcry against the pains and confusion caused by the CBN’s cashless policy, PDP, supposedly the main opposition party, is totally and openly in support of the policy.

“The PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar was the first to declare support for the policy and other PDP big names including state governors have now joined him. The PDP support for the anti-people policy that is wreaking families and communities across the country and potentially leading to greater unrest was busted with the application by the Governors of Bayelsa and Edo, all PDP states, to be joined as defendants against the suit filed by mainly APC governors, challenging it at the Supreme Court.

“I urge Nigerians to vote out the PDP presidential candidate come 25th of February, we cannot be placed in shackles, we must ensure these shackles remain broken by casting your votes for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and together we will renew hope, renew the new Naira to be spent side by side with the old, renew our commitment for a better Nigeria and most especially renew hope and commitment in our educational and health sectors as I shall personally plead with our incoming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure extensive research is carried out and more knowledge gained on how patients suffering from hubris syndrome can be managed better in Nigeria when their guardian flees to Dubia abandoning the patient with us. Clearly a Tinubu’s victory is an assured cure for Dino Melaye.

“Despite all obstacles thrown at him, Tinubu is a tennis ball that no Psunami can sink and will comfortably make it to the shore after the storm, until the right thing is done, the naira redesign and vindictive policy including the fuel scarcity crisis is resolved, not only will we continue our silent protests during the National anthem but our hands with our walking sticks will remain in the air in defiance because our country and economy cannot continue to be supported with the aid of a walking stick rather it’s time to renew hope and that day is 25th February 2023, and that time is Jagaban time.”