President Tinubu Beg Nigerians to Cancel EndBadGovernance Protest

President Tinubu Beg Nigerians to Cancel EndBadGovernance Protest

President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to cancel a planned ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest scheduled for next month.

Information Minister Mohammed Idris, after a meeting with the President, informed select State House correspondents that Tinubu requested the protest organisers to cancel their plans and wait for the government’s response to their grievances.

“The issue of the planned protest, Mr President does not see any need for that. He’s asked them to shelve that plan. He’s asked them to await the government’s response to all their pleas,” the minister stated.

The protest, which is being organised against economic hardship, is gaining traction on social media and is set to occur in all states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The organisers have remained anonymous.

In recent months, the prices of food and basic commodities have soared, as Nigerians grapple with severe inflation and an economic crisis driven by the government’s removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of forex windows.

The Federal Government, through the National Orientation Agency (NOA), the Nigeria Police Force, and the House of Representatives, has cautioned against proceeding with the planned demonstration.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Senator Ali Ndume have urged the President to address the demands of the discontented individuals, who are predominantly youths.

In contrast, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga warned on Saturday that the planned protest could escalate into the destruction of assets similar to what occurred during the EndSARS protest against police brutality and extrajudicial killings in October 2020.