The #EndBadGovernance Movement has urged the Lagos State Police Command to ensure the safety of peaceful protesters during the planned October 1, 2024, demonstration.
During a press conference held on Thursday at the International Press Centre in Ogba, Lagos, the movement formally requested police protection. In response, the police had earlier invited key figures of the Take It Back Movement, including National Coordinator Sanyaolu Juwon, for a meeting with the new Lagos Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Ishola, to discuss “issues of national interests.” However, the group proposed a virtual meeting, citing the unavailability of its members in Lagos.
In its statement, the #EndBadGovernance Movement called on Nigerians to join the peaceful protest aimed at drawing attention to worsening economic conditions in the country, exacerbated by rising fuel prices, electricity tariffs, and inflation. The statement, signed by key activists including Hassan Taiwo (Soweto), National Coordinator of the Education Rights Campaign, Abiodun Aremu, Secretary of the Joint Action Front, and Francis Nwapa, National Secretary of the Youth Rights Campaign, emphasized the government’s failure to address previous demands from the August #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests.
The October 1 protest follows the nationwide #Hunger protest in August, which lasted 10 days. Protesters had demanded the reversal of fuel subsidy removal, a halt to fee hikes in public institutions, and a constitutional review. During those protests, many demonstrators were arrested, with security forces accusing them of violence. Some protest leaders faced charges of treason at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
“None of the demands from our 10 days of rage in August has been met,” the statement declared, highlighting the skyrocketing petrol prices, now between ₦900 and ₦1,000 per litre, which the group called “intolerable.” They urged Nigerians to unite on October 1 to demand an end to policies harming the poor.
The movement also reminded the Lagos State Police of their legal obligation under the Police Establishment Act to protect peaceful protesters. They reaffirmed the peaceful nature of the protest and stressed the need for law enforcement to safeguard the demonstrators’ right to assemble.
The group further called for the release of detained protesters from previous #EndSARS and #EndBadGovernance protests, including Adaramoye Michael, aka Lenin, as well as other activists and journalists detained for exercising their rights. Among their primary demands are the reversal of fuel price hikes, a reduction in food prices, and an end to insecurity.
The protest is set to begin at 7:30 am under the Ikeja Bridge, with demonstrators marching through various parts of Lagos.
In a related development, the Nigeria Patriotic Front Movement in Kano declared October 1, 2024, as a National Protest Day for National Survival. The group’s National Chairman, Abdulmajid Yakubu Daudu, stated in a release that the protest, which will take place nationwide, will be a peaceful, one-day event.
“This protest is a warning for the government to urgently address the cost-of-living crisis before the situation worsens. Now is the time for statesmanship, not brinkmanship,” Daudu said.
He called on President Tinubu to prioritize the well-being of Nigerians, criticizing the current administration for its handling of the economy. “Our demands are nationally coordinated, and you’ll hear the same message from comrades across the nation. This is a national survival issue.”
Daudu outlined the group’s key demands, which include an end to food inflation, high petrol prices, excessive governance costs, high electricity prices, high interest rates, and insecurity.
