Anambra State, Nigeria tense political and economic standoff has emerged between Governor Chukwuma Soludo and the traders of Onitsha Main Market as both sides refuse to back down over the controversial Monday sit at home order.
Last week, Governor Soludo ordered the closure of Onitsha Main Market for one week after many traders again observed the traditional Monday sit at home protest, despite government warnings to open for business.
The sit at home, originally linked to protests over the detention of IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, has disrupted commerce in Onitsha and other Southeast towns for years, affecting markets, schools and transport.
To enforce his order, Soludo deployed heavy security throughout the market and warned that traders who continue to close their shops could lose their market spaces entirely.
In his message to traders, the governor said the sit at home was tantamount to economic sabotage and insisted the market must operate normally beginning with Monday trading.
Rather than opening for business, some youths and traders took to the streets in protest, with chants and slogans challenging the governor’s authority and questioning the legal backing for his directives.
The tension raised fears of escalation, with observers wondering who will blink first the government or the traders
Soludo has urged full Monday trading and offered market improvements in exchange for compliance, Traders, however, remain cautious after years of sit at home disruptions and Security remains heightened as both sides prepare for what could be a pivotal economic test in Anambra State.
