Organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protests, now in their second day, have declared that the nationwide demonstrations will continue until President Bola Tinubu addresses their demands.
Damilare Adenola, Director of Mobilisation for the Take It Back Movement, stated that the protests will persist for the full 10 days or longer, depending on the government’s response.
Adenola also addressed comments from Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, a human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN). Adegboruwa had sought protection for the protesters from security agencies, but Adenola clarified that Adegboruwa does not represent their group.
He remarked, “Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa is not our lawyer and he doesn’t speak for us. He might have presented himself as the solicitor but he is not hungry. He is a senior advocate of Nigeria who lives well. He is not hungry like the people taking over the streets.”
Adenola emphasised that the protests are fueled by widespread hunger and economic deprivation, not external sponsorship.
He asserted, “We are waiting for the government to respond to us and address our demands. And until then, the protests continue,” adding that the protests have demonstrated that Nigerians can hold their leaders accountable.
Regarding the claims that the protests are being sponsored, Adenola stated, “The sponsors of these protests were hunger and economic deprivation,” and criticised the government for not addressing the protesters’ demands by now.
On the first and second days of the protests, police used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators, mostly youths, which drew criticism from civil society organisations (CSOs). The protests also saw incidents of looting and violence, leading several states, including Kano, Borno, Yobe, Katsina, Nasarawa, and Jigawa, to impose curfews in affected areas.
Amnesty International has reported some fatalities, and Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun confirmed that a policeman was killed, others were injured, and police stations were burned.
The nationwide protests, which began on August 1, 2024, are scheduled to continue until August 10 across all states and the capital, Abuja. Protesters are calling for the restoration of petrol subsidies, reforms to the forex regime, and measures to address food shortages, unemployment, and wasteful government spending. They also demand reductions in the President’s cabinet and the cost of governance, as well as immediate reforms to the electoral body INEC and the anti-graft agency EFCC.
