Protests are citizens’ inalienable rights, legally supported as legitimate expressions of dissent. Since the announcement of the protest, the government has adopted a defensive stance, often distorting the truth and politicizing the situation.
Bayo Onanuga, representing the government, accused Labour Party leader Peter Obi of inciting unrest. However, a robust response and legal actions countered this narrative, revealing the government’s desperation to discredit the protest.
Drawing parallels to the #EndSARS protests, which were notably peaceful, the government appears to be recycling narratives to undermine the upcoming demonstration. During #EndSARS, protesters maintained discipline and unity, gathering peacefully at the Lekki Toll Gate before soldiers intervened with lethal force—an event the government still denies.
Evidence of government involvement in the violence, such as hoodlums disembarking from official vehicles, raises questions about the government’s complicity in fostering chaos for political gains.
The government’s pretext that the protest will be hijacked by hoodlums highlights their failure to ensure adequate security to prevent such occurrences. Protests against the protest are already happening in some states, yet the government’s response remains inadequate.
Various groups, including the Take It Back Movement, Concerned Nigerians, Revolution Now, and others, have articulated their demands in a comprehensive ten-point agenda. Protesters are calling for an end to anti-people policies, overtaxing, and electoral fraud, which they attribute to widespread suffering and frustration.
They demand the reversal of the fuel price hike to below N300 per litre, the restoration of affordable electricity tariffs, and a reduction of import duties to their previous rates. Additionally, they seek the reversal of increased tertiary education fees, transparency and accountability in governance, public disclosure, and reduction of public officials’ salaries and allowances, and an emergency fund to support SMEs.
Further demands include electoral reforms such as the autonomy of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), electronic transmission of live electoral results, and the reopening of national borders. Protesters also call for reforms in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), a state of emergency on inflation, and judiciary reforms to ensure swift and fair justice.
They insist on public school mandates requiring children of public office holders to attend public schools and advocate for the government to patronize made-in-Nigeria goods. Additionally, they seek the transition to a unicameral legislature, the abolishment of the Senate, and part-time legislation by the House of Representatives.
Protesters urge the reinstatement of a corruption-free subsidy regime to alleviate hunger and poverty and demand probes into past and present Nigerian leaders’ financial misconduct, with recovered funds reinvested for national benefit.
The call for restructuring Nigeria to accommodate its diversity includes resource control, decentralization, regional development, and reforming security agencies to prevent human rights violations and enhance citizens’ security.
They advocate for a Special Energy Fund for power sector development, reconstitution of INEC to remove corrupt officials, public works and industrialization investments to create jobs, judicial reforms to eliminate corrupt judges, and diaspora voting to allow Nigerians abroad to participate in elections.
These demands aim to address current hardships and foster a more equitable society. Unfortunately, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not directly addressed the nation regarding these issues, opting instead to communicate through appointees lacking the political legitimacy to engage Nigerians meaningfully.
Drawing lessons from Kenya, where leaders advised engaging directly with the people, Tinubu’s failure to do so has only fueled the determination for the protest. It is crucial for the Nigerian Police Force to provide sufficient security to ensure the protest remains peaceful and free from hijacking by hoodlums.
Nnamdi Abana
July 31, 2027
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