EndBadGovernance: 10 Days of Protests Rated by Activists, Lawyers

The #EndBadGovernance protest enters its 10th day, with activists and lawyers evaluating its successes and areas for improvement.

After a span of 10 days, the national outcry conducted by Nigerian citizens culminated on last Saturday.

According to  OBASANJONEWS the EndBadGovernance protest was organized by individuals with the intention of highlighting the country’s hardships and bringing them to the attention of the Federal Government.

Nigerian citizens have called for several demands, as conveyed by Omoyele Sowore who is both an organizer and well-known activist.

These requests include abolishing the 1999 constitution in favor of a Constitution made by the people themselves.

In addition to this, there has been demand to reintroduce fuel subsidies while also decreasing lawmakers’ earnings; other appeals consist of releasing Nnamdi Kanu- head of Indigenous People of Biafra -amongst others.

Sowore insisted on a thorough investigation of past and present leaders, urging for the restructuring of Nigeria to combat banditry and terrorism.

Additionally, he called for the establishment of an exclusive energy sector aimed at promoting corruption-free development in power generation.

He also insisted on the restructuring of the electoral commission and sweeping reforms within Nigeria’s judiciary to eliminate corrupt factions among judges and other judicial personnel.

According to OBASANJONEWS , numerous fatalities were registered as miscreants took control of the protest and unleashed chaos on local entrepreneurs and inhabitants.

In a speech directed towards the protesters across the country, President Bola Tinubu had encouraged them to cease their demonstration and prepare for discussions with his government.

Tinubu made a statement in which he urged protesters and organizers to halt any further demonstrations. He encouraged them instead to prioritize dialogue, an option that he has always supported.

Read Also: FG Seizes N83bn Protest Funds, Arrests Political Collaborators

Tinubu emphasized the importance of unity across all ages, political affiliations, ethnic groups, religious backgrounds or other societal divides for Nigeria’s progress as a nation depends on everyone working together towards this common goal.

“Warning to those who have exploited this situation unfairly by making threats against any group in our country: You will be pursued and punished by the law. We are striving for a Nigeria free of ethnic animosity or intimidations.”

The Edo North Senator, Adams Oshiomhole expressed that he believed the protest was unnecessary as Tinubu was exerting all possible efforts to resolve Nigeria’s economic struggles.

According to Oshiomhole, he does not acknowledge any individuals who identify as organizers of the nationwide protest.

According to him, Sowore is a former presidential candidate who lost the election and should therefore wait for the winner.

Allow him some space. Sowore’s words cannot be deemed representative of the populace as he is still recovering from his loss.

“That person is not fit to represent the people of Kano, who are responsible for bombing in Maiduguri or car hijacking.”

Adeyanju notes that the protest was successful, but Tinubu lacked sincerity.

Deji Adeyanju, a constitutional lawyer, characterized the nationwide protest lasting for 10 days as triumphant as Nigerians were able to effectively communicate their grievances and demands to the Federal Government.

Adeyanju alleged that Tinubu’s proposal of meeting and negotiating with the protest organizers lacked sincerity.

He expressed his bewilderment to OBASANJONEWS about the fact that Tinubu’s government detained more than 1,300 demonstrators and subsequently anticipated them to have a meeting with him.

According to him, the protest accomplished its goal of highlighting societal problems and bringing them to the government’s attention. This is particularly significant when you have a responsive administration that prioritizes public opinion.

The protest was considered successful before it commenced, as the government had prior knowledge of the demonstrators and their requests, yet failed to act on them. This lack of action led to the occurrence of the protest.

Topics concerning the restoration of the previous fuel subsidy, reduction in government spending, constitutional revisions and increased protection for citizens.

The demonstration strengthened the constitutional right to freedom of assembly even more.

Prior to the protest, individuals at various levels of government – including military personnel, law enforcement officials and even Senate President Akpabio – issued warnings that it would not be permitted.

In a democracy, the Presidency and even traditional rulers discouraged protesting by issuing threats.

Despite the fact that it has not ceased, the protest can be considered mostly triumphant. As long as hunger, insecurity and unemployment remain prevalent issues, this demonstration will persist.

The president’s lack of interest in addressing the protesters’ demands is simply delaying inevitable consequences.

The people protesting are seeking commendation for their pursuit of economic and political reforms.

The Nigerian politicians are enjoying lavish lifestyles at the cost of their citizens. It’s appalling that in a democracy, this Government has detained more than 1,300 protesters; not even during military rule were there such high numbers. Tinubu and his administration have made Abacha proud indeed.

Do you want to meet with someone who claimed willingness to meet protesters, yet continued arresting them two days after the protest?

Meeting such individuals is impossible as Tinubu’s administration lacks sincerity and has detained over 1,300 persons. The prospects of protesters having an audience with Tinubu are non-existent.

Although this government expressed opposition towards protests, it is hypocritical considering they themselves engaged in protesting against other governments. A larger protest will inevitably occur as long as the matters that impact individuals persist.

According to Lawyer Idam, the protesters exposed the Nigerian government’s shortcomings to the global community.

According to Madubuachi Idam, an activist lawyer, the protest effectively highlighted Nigeria’s government failures and incompetencies in front of a global audience.

During an interview with OBASANJONEWS, he stated that the protest was a resounding triumph. The government at various levels were deeply concerned and uneasy due to the protesters’ demonstration, which exposed their incompetence and lack of direction before the international community. There is no doubt in his mind that this accomplishment couldn’t have been done without any deceitful tactics involved.

The message behind the Endbadgovernance protests was acknowledged by authorities. However, if governments choose to ignore these demands and turn a blind eye to protesters, they will suffer consequences during future elections. This neglect is entirely their own doing and cannot go without repercussions at an appropriate time.

The Endbadgovernance protests successfully accomplished all their objectives except for the overthrow of the government. The organizers and participants were fully aware that only democratic means, such as voting, can result in a change of leadership. Therefore, they did not intend nor could have intended to oust the democratically-elected government.

No government would desire the kind of embarrassment, derision, scoffing and censure inflicted upon them due to demonstrations occurring at both domestic and global levels.

If not through protests, what other method can a discontented citizen resort to in order to express displeasure towards an economically unwise government that recklessly misuses public funds and lacks basic economic understanding? These demonstrations are intended primarily for shaming the government.

Although I am saddened by the casualties resulting from the protest, it is important to note that the citizens’ grievances were effectively expressed. Therefore, this indicates that the protest was highly successful.

verifies failure of protest efforts

Austin Okai, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party and human rights activist stated that the nationwide protests were unsuccessful as none of the requests made by protesters were granted by the President.

Okai recommended that organizers should enlist coordinators who are confident and willing to meet with the president directly in order to discuss their requests.

The protest was mediocre. However, given the multitude of demands made during the event, it remains uncertain as to what has been accomplished. Did any of their requests receive attention from the president? Truthfully, no progress appears to have been made in that regard.

The president has not approved any of the requests; in fact, he was advocating for making sacrifices.

It’s ironic that even though the Minister of Finance claims to be paying a higher subsidy than before, it doesn’t seem to reflect in filling stations since the subsidies won’t return. This brings up an intriguing question- who is really benefiting from this subsidized payment made by our president?

There are reports suggesting that Malta houses a refinery which receives the subsidy payments. It is imperative for the President and his aides to address these matters.

I am confident that another protest is imminent since the previous one failed to produce any outcomes. The organizers must hire expert coordinators who can liaise with governmental officials by directly addressing the president, outlining people’s issues instead of relying solely on signage.

“He told OBASANJONEWS that there should be a leader capable of meeting the president and informing him about people’s situation.”