Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, the solicitor representing the organizers of the #EndBadGovernance protest, has called for an immediate and indefinite suspension of the demonstrations.
In a statement released on Friday, Adegboruwa highlighted the hijacking of the protest by hoodlums as the primary reason for this decision. He urged protesters to vacate their protest grounds to pave the way for constructive dialogue with the government.
“I appeal to the protesters to withdraw from their various protest grounds and to suspend the protests immediately and indefinitely, to give room for meaningful dialogue and engagement with the government,” Adegboruwa stated. “Given that the protests have been hijacked by sponsored agents, it is necessary to avoid further losses and casualties. The organizers and their representatives should embrace dialogue with the government.”
The senior lawyer commended the citizens for their massive turnout and for expressing their dissatisfaction with the current hardships in the country. He emphasized that no leader should take the citizens for granted again.
“I commend the people of Nigeria who trooped out in their large numbers to join the protests and those who stayed at home in solidarity through peaceful civil disobedience. No leader should ever take the people for granted. Considering the hunger and hardship experienced by our people across the land, the protests were more than justified.”
Adegboruwa criticized President Bola Tinubu for not engaging with the protest organizers despite having been notified well in advance. He urged the president to address the nation and engage with the protesters directly.
“Notice of this protest was given many weeks ago, yet nothing was done to engage the organizers of the protests to address the issues raised in their charter of demands. This is akin to how the government ignores several strike notices issued by the Labour unions until they eventually snowball into strike actions. This should not be so. I call upon President Bola Tinubu to directly address the nation and then engage the protesters through their representatives. Thereafter, the government should set up a committee comprising men and women of integrity to meet with the protesters and address the issues they have raised.”
