We the undersigned, Nigerian Baptists home and abroad, read with great interest the recent communication penned by the President of the Nigerian Baptist Convention, Israel Akanji. In the communication addressed to "the entire Nigerian Baptist Convention family", and under the title "On the planned protest", Akanji raised concerns about the nationwide protest being organised by a coalition of Nigerian civil society groups, and scheduled to commence on Thursday 1st August, 2024. The Convention President asserted, inter alia, that the protest was being "awaited" by people desperate to unleash violence on "our beautiful nation". He was also emphatic in his conviction that "the outcome of the protest will draw our nation many decades backward". In one of the more telling passages in this communication, the Convention president, in reference to 1 Timothy 2:1-3, declared that "there is no way one can be steeped in this word of God and other similar Scriptures and continue to advocate for a protest, which one can predict would be hijacked".

We found the intervention of the Convention President to be deeply concerning and unsettling, not least because of the timing and context. We fear that our respected President has regrettably positioned himself on the wrong side of history on this matter. We are sad that the Convention president has not only missed a historic opportunity to identify with longsuffering citizens in their time of distress, but he has doubled down on the hapless citizens, invoking the Scriptures to delegitimise their cries for help. Our Baptist leader appears to have ignored the spirit and intent of the mandate to "seek justice. Defend the Oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow" (Isaiah 1:17). In the circumstances, it behoves on us as joint heirs of the Grace of God in Christ Jesus, to raise our considered and conscientious objections to the President's letter, and in support of the rights, nay duty, of citizens to use every peaceful means to call elected leaders to account and demand better governance and improved outcomes for all.

We set out our key positions as follows, in response to the major issues raised by the president:

1. Organised citizens protest is a tried, trusted and effective instrument in a representative democracy: We take exception to the suggestion that organised citizens protest is inherently an invitation or incitement to violence. On the contrary, citizens protest is one of the most effective, peaceful instruments through which citizens can seek accountability and better performance from their elected leaders who derive their mandate from the people in the first instance. This is a cardinal principle of liberal democracy. And it bears emphasizing that, for all the dissatisfaction and anger that precipitates protests, citizen protest is ultimately a fundamental act of faith of citizens that their country can be better, and that elected leaders can do better and must therefore do better. Citizen protest is a patriotic repudiation of mediocrity. Peaceful protest is also a rejection of violence as an instrument of change. It deserves commendation, not condemnation. While understanding that peaceful protests are always at the risk of being hijacked by violent people, it is the government's responsibility to provide security and protection to citizens exercising their fundamental rights to protest.

2. Prayers and protests are mutually reinforcing, not mutually exclusive: Akanji cited 1 Timothy 2:1-3 to support his position that believers who embrace the biblical call to prayer and intercession cannot at the same time be advocates of protests. We consider this to be a regrettable interpretation that does not align with closer and deeper engagement with that and similar Scriptures. Citizens protests are in the finest biblical traditions, and they often go hand in hand with prayers. It was in the place of prayer that Moses was encouraged to confront Pharaoh and make petitions on behalf of the people. The Old Testament prophets were never shy to confront national leaders who did wrong or needed to do better, and Apostle Paul protested his poor treatment in the hands of the Roman authorities when he was jailed (Acts 16:35-39). It is our view that, alongside effective fervent prayers, the peaceful protests of righteous people indeed avails much (James 5:16). Our Baptist history is replete with inspiring examples of this, notably the example of Civil Rights Movement led by the renowned Baptist pastor, Martin Luther King Jr, who originally launched the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to organise the successful Montgomery Bus Boycott. And lest we forget, King was denounced as a rabble rouser by none other than fellow clergymen, who have since stood condemned on the wrong side of history. We pray history is not repeating itself.

3). Peaceful protesters are history makers*: Peaceful protesters, in the mould of King and others like him, are among the world's greatest history makers. They summon us to a vision of the world that can be shaped without violence or shedding blood. They show us that, indeed, power flows not from the barrel of a gun but from the voices of conscious citizens. These patriots risk their necks, driven by the dreams of a better future not just for themselves but also for posterity. At this point we cannot but draw attention to the story of the famine in Samaria (2 Kings 6 &7) cited in your communication. It is indeed true that the situation of the nation in question was turned around overnight, but that was not before four leprous men challenged themselves, saying "why do we sit here until we die?" (2 Kings 7:3). These ordinary people took the risks, approached the camp of the Syrians, and brought about a great turnaround for their country. They are the real heroes, instruments in God's hands, tired of the status quo, and powered by faith in God and their dreams of a better future.

We conclude by saying, sir: citizen protesters are neither the enemy nor the problem of the Nigerian state. They are not insurrectionists, neither are they bandits or armed terrorists, of which Nigeria is not in short supply. The planned protest is, in fact, a teachable moment for Nigeria as a nation. It sends the right and timely message that aggrieved citizens need not take up arms against the State in order to give voices to their dissatisfaction and demand for better governance. They need not be militants or bandits before they can get the audience and ears of government. Therefore, the government of President Bola Tinubu has an important role to play, including through provision and guarantee of security for protesting citizens, to send a clear and unequivocal message, that in "our beautiful country", there will always be room and audience for peaceful citizen protesters. The government should not fluff their lines.

Those who want to protest have the right to do so, just like those who don't want to. Both categories are found in the Nigerian Baptist Convention churches. They should be allowed to exercise their choices.

Signed:

Seun Kolade,  Wolverhampton, United Kingdom

Wale Fatade, Isolo, Lagos Nigeria

Endorsed and co-signed by:

Victor Adebiyi, Texas US

Bola Makinde, Lagos Nigeria

Kunle Adedeji, Oyo Nigeria

Ifeoluwa Alabi, London UK

Olusola Ojediran, Lagos Nigeria

Segun Akindele, Ile Ife, Nigeria

Yinka Kotoye, Lagos Nigeria

Abiodun Egbetokun, Leicester UK

Femi Adeleke, Wolverhampton UK

Tinuke Adeleke, Wolverhampton UK

Ashimije Rufus, Wolverhampton, UK