2Baba Foundation, the body responsible for Innocent Idibia’s proposed ‘One Voice’ march which eventually withdrew from last Monday’s nationwide protest has apologised to fans of the singer, following backlash from some quarters.
In a statement released on Monday, the Foundation gave reasons why they backed out from the protest.
The statement reads: “On behalf of Innocent “2Baba” Idibia, we would like to apologise to the fans, colleagues and everyday Nigerians who feel let down by the cancellation of this protest.
“2Baba’s aim was to lend his voice to make the government aware of the growing discontent due to the wildly escalating cost of living for Nigerians in Nigeria among other issues.
“Arguably one of the country’s most influential musicians, he saw it fit to use his considerable platform; at the core of which are Nigerians, to amplify their voice.
This is why he chose to march for the cause, and why he was so honoured when his industry colleagues pledged their support.
“In line with the commitment of ‘One Voice’ Nigeria to ensure a peaceful and impactful protest, The 2face Foundation and partners engaged with the security agencies to resolve all major security concerns but treacherous gaps remain that we are unwilling to ignore.
“The risk of hijack by various political and sundry interests’ intent on using the platform to drive agendas that we as the 2Face Foundation are not aligned with and therefore exposing protesters to high levels of danger is the main reason why 2baba regretfully had to withdraw himself from the march.
“He has refused to inadvertently present a platform for mischief makers to exploit.
“2baba would like to express his great regret over these circumstances to everyone who feels disappointed. However, he hopes they will agree that as he said in the video announcing the development; ‘no protest is worth the blood of any Nigerian.”
The singer, according to the statement, promises to continue working on avenues to that ensure the voice of the ordinary man is heard.
He however denied being arrested by DSS as is being reported in various online media. “Thanks for the concern guys. I’m fine and free. Reports about DSS arrest are not true. We are still compiling your responses for the leadership. State your opinion on social media with the hastag #IStandWithNigeria. Peace! One luv always!!!” he wrote.