The Lagos chapter of the #EndBadGovernance Movement has declared that its planned protest for Democracy Day on Thursday will go ahead as scheduled, despite the alleged plan by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police to frustrate it through evasive tactics.
In a statement shared with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday, the group reaffirmed its commitment to mobilising thousands of Nigerians to protest what it described as “the absence of genuine democracy in Nigeria and the hunger, hardship and gross inequality” under President Bola Tinubu’s two-year-old administration.
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The statement said the protest, scheduled to take off from Ikeja Underbridge at 7:30 a.m., will be peaceful and is aimed at highlighting worsening economic hardship, rising cost of living, and what they describe as the shrinking of civil liberties since President Tinubu assumed office in May 2023.
“We urge workers, artisans, youth, students, market men and women, okada riders, unemployed and all oppressed Nigerians to come out on that day and join us for the peaceful procession,” Hassan Soweto said, on behalf of the organising committee.
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The group criticised the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly reneging on a prior agreement regarding a security meeting
According to the statement, the protest organisers and their lawyers arrived at the State Command headquarters in Ikeja on Tuesday for an 11 a.m. meeting with the police commissioner, only to be informed that he had travelled to Oshodi to provide security for the president’s motorcade.
“We waited for an hour and then left after reaching an agreement with his subordinates that a rescheduled meeting would be held via Zoom,” the organisers said.
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However, they expressed surprise at receiving a new message Tuesday evening from the police commissioner’s office rescheduling the meeting for 4 p.m. on Wednesday, at the same venue in Ikeja.
The group insists it will not attend any physical meeting and maintains that further engagement must occur virtually as agreed.
“We are not averse to meeting with the CP ahead of the June 12 protest to discuss modalities for the police to discharge their duties of providing protection for protesters as provided for in the constitution,” Mr Soweto said.
“It was the CP who decided to be absent at a meeting he called, and our position is that a rescheduled meeting should be by Zoom and not a physical gathering at his office.”
Police speak
When contacted on Wednesday, the Lagos State Police Command Spokesperson, Benjamin Hundeyin, said the command was engaging with the protest organisers ahead of the planned demonstration.
“We are meeting with them today to ensure a peaceful protest. We also want to ensure that the protesters conform with security measures that would protect lives and property in the state, and that the protest is not hijacked by miscreants or results in mayhem,” Mr Hundeyin said.
According to him, the police will use the opportunity to urge protesters not to disrupt traffic, public peace, or law and order, so that other residents celebrating Democracy Day can move freely across the state.
“While the Command will definitely provide security for those celebrating and those protesting, everyone is enjoined to be law-abiding and maintain the peace currently being enjoyed in the state,” he added.
Protests amid rising discontent
The protest is part of a broader wave of discontent across the country triggered by economic reforms implemented by the Tinubu administration. Key among them are the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira, which have led to historic inflation, surging fuel prices, and food insecurity.
Labour centres, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), have repeatedly staged nationwide protests and strikes over the government’s handling of the economy.
Civil society groups say these policies, backed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, have disproportionately hurt ordinary Nigerians.
The #EndBadGovernance Movement calls for an end to “IMF/World Bank-inspired anti-poor policies.”
12 June: A day of resistance
Mr Soweto underscored the symbolism of 12 June, which commemorates the annulled 1993 presidential election won by Chief Moshood Abiola.
In 2018, the date was officially recognised as Nigeria’s Democracy Day by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
READ ALSO: Democracy Day: Nigerian govt declares Thursday public holiday
“June 12 itself is historically a day of protest. Everything about the day stands for protest and resistance,” the statement said, pointing to the massive street demonstrations and civil resistance that followed the annulment of the 1993 election and eventually ushered in civilian rule in 1999.
“Unfortunately, 32 years after, Nigeria is neither truly democratic nor has any of the hope and aspiration of the Nigerian people in 1993 for economic and social upliftment being met,” the statement said.
The statement accused the current administration of clamping down on democratic rights and freedoms while enabling corruption, impunity, and widening inequality.
Despite these, the #EndBadGovernance Movement says it is not deterred.
“Whatever happens, the public should rest assured that the 12 June protest will go on,” the statement added.
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