#EndBadGovernance Protest Leaders Slam Tinubu’s Speech As Out of Touch With Masses, Vow To Continue Mass Action
During a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the mass protests until their demands are met.
Some leaders of the #EndBadGovernance protests have expressed their disappointment and frustration with President Bola Tinubu’s recent nationwide broadcast, stating that it failed to address the pressing demands of alleviating economic hardship faced by Nigerians.
During a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to continuing the mass protests until their demands are met.
They also condemned the violent crackdown on protesters by security agents, which resulted in fatalities, and vowed to press on with their movement despite the challenges.
Adaramoye Michael Lenin, National Coordinator of the Youth Rights Campaign, strongly criticised President Tinubu’s speech, describing it as a masterful exercise in gaslighting, manipulation, and doublespeak that has long plagued Nigeria’s public discourse.
Lenin argued that the ongoing protests are a lawful response by the Nigerian people to the Tinubu-led government’s failure to address systemic injustices after over 14 months in power.
He rejected the President’s claim that the protests are driven by a political agenda to destabilise the country, calling it a baseless attempt to discredit the movement by attributing false motives to it.
He said, “These protests were mobilised for by the flagrant extravagance of political office holders in Nigeria for the past 14 months while asking Nigerians to be patient in our hunger and hardship – which they claim to be our sacrifice for the nation.
“It is almost better for the President to have kept silent than make this kind of broadcast in which he continued his attitude of ignoring the legitimate grievances of the Nigerian people, by delegitimising our protests as politically-motivated.”
On his part, a member of Take It Back Movement, Emiola Osifeso described President Tinubu as insensitive for not addressing the excesses of the security agents who have reportedly killed over 21 people and arrested more than 1,000 protesters across the country.
He condemned the deployment of the personnel of military, police, Department of State Services (DSS) to arrest and kill harmless protesters demanding good governance and an end to hunger and corruption.
Emiola said, “We must not forget that this same President and his ruling APC have deployed security forces including the army, the police, and the DSS to suppress the rights to dissent of protesters by using teargas on protesters, beating, injuring, arresting and killing scores of protesters.
“They have also done that by arresting journalists and demanding a media blackout on the protests, and by sponsoring thugs and looters to discredit our protests. It is therefore seriously infuriating to hear the same President claim that he understands our frustrations and suffering.”
Another member of the Movement, Yahaya Muhammad, called on Nigerians not be intimidated by the blackmail and threats by security agents and come out en masse on Monday, August 5 to demand the return of fuel subsidy, reversal of electricity tariff and reduction in school fees.
He said, “The actions of the Tinubu administration have been the direct opposite of this, because they have been arresting journalists and protesters even before the mobilisation for these recent protests started.”
Omole Ibukun, Initiator of Creative Change Centre, stated that the President’s broadcast has further exposed his inability to connect with the needs of the Nigerian people, while prioritising policies that benefit his elite circle of private investors at the expense of the general public.
Ibukun’s comment suggests that the President’s actions are driven by a focus on serving the interests of a privileged few, rather than addressing the pressing concerns of the masses.
He said, “We are protesting because we want our own subsidies like fuel subsidy, electricity, subsidy, education subsidy, telecoms subsidy, etc., especially in light of the fact that Nigerian politicians have been doling out subsidies to their rich cronies in form of privatization and deregulation deals and contracts.
“When President Tinubu said ‘we have come this far’ in terms of economic progress in his speech, he was only speaking about that progress that is largely exclusive to his small elite gang. That progress has left the majority of Nigerians behind.”
“His administration has arrested, maimed and killed the hungry Nigerians who are the backbone and soul of these protests, yet he claims to want to dialogue with protesters. Is the President a necromancer hoping to dialogue with ghosts?” Ibukun added.
