The Lagos State organizers of the protest against hardship and bad governance in Nigeria have announced plans to resume their demonstration at Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, on Monday, August 5, 2024, despite recent comments from President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Hassan Taiwo, Ayoyinka Oni, and Adegboyega Adeniji on behalf of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Organizing Committee, the group expressed disappointment that it took President Tinubu three days of protests to address the nation.
The statement follows the President’s broadcast earlier on Sunday, where Tinubu acknowledged the protesters’ concerns and urged them to suspend their demonstrations in favor of dialogue.
“We consider the President’s decision to address the nation an important victory for our movement,” the organizers said. “Without our courage and resolve to dare the odds, even this acknowledgment would not have happened. So far, we have demonstrated that a President is not greater than the rest of the country,” the statement read.
The group criticized the President for offering dialogue while also demanding an end to the protests. They also condemned recent violence against protesters, including attacks by thugs during a Sunday morning worship session and an incident where a protester was struck on live television.
“In our view, the President cannot be approbating and reprobating at the same time. The President cannot offer an olive branch while at the same time holding a dagger to our throat,” the trio said.
The organizers then called on Nigerian youth and the general public to join them at 7 a.m. on Monday at Gani Fawehinmi Park for the fifth day of protests.
