President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to halt the #EndBadGovernance protests and engage in dialogue instead.
In a broadcast on Sunday, the President reassured Nigerians that his administration is committed to good governance despite the socio-economic challenges facing the nation.
Tinubu expressed sorrow over the loss of lives and damage to property in several states during the protests, noting that the destruction of public and private assets only hinders progress, as “scarce resources will again be used to restore them.”
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He also extended his condolences to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the protests, stating, “We must stop further bloodshed, violence, and destruction.”
The President warned that his administration would not allow a few politically motivated individuals to destabilize the country under the pretext of protests.
Demands Of Protesters
Since the protests began on Thursday, opposition figures including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Tinubu’s former election rivals, ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, have strongly urged him to address the defiant youths who have taken to the streets to voice their dissatisfaction with the faltering economy and the severe hardship facing the country.
In recent months, the prices of food and basic commodities have skyrocketed, as Nigerians grapple with one of the country’s worst inflation rates and economic crises, driven by the government’s twin policies of removing the petrol subsidy and unifying forex windows.
Initially propagated on social media, the #EndBadGovernance protests against economic hardship, planned to last for 10 days, entered their third day on Saturday. Resilient youths continued to press forward, demanding that Tinubu address their concerns.
Among the protesters’ demands are the restoration of the petrol subsidy and the return of the previous forex regime. They also call for the government to address food shortages, tackle unemployment, and curb wasteful spending by those in power.
Additionally, they demand a reduction in the size of the President’s cabinet and the overall cost of governance, as well as immediate reforms of the electoral commission (INEC) and the anti-graft agency (EFCC), with a renewed focus on combating corruption among politicians.
