By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Organisers of the planned #EndBadGovernance demonstrations across Nigerian federation have rejected a proposal by the Inspector General of Police for what he called confined protests.
The organisers instead pushes for a street demonstration against what they consider bad governance in the West African nation.
The ten-day protest slated to commence on August 1 seeks to draw the attention of government to hunger ravaging several families, high cost of living, skyrocketing prices of goods and service, insecurity and other concerns.
At a meeting with the organisers on Tuesday, the IGP suggested confined protests in identified locations and advised against street rallies.
However, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), one of the lawyers backing Take It Back Movement, one of the groups organising the nationwide protests, rejected the proposal of the IGP.
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), other lawyers, civil society organisations as well as some arrowheads of the planned protests attended the virtual meeting.
The planned protests against economic hardship has consistently gained traction on social media, with the government of President Bola Tinubu calling on organisers to shelve the protest.
The once largest economy in Africa last month faced one of its worst inflation rates and economic crises, sparked by the government’s twin policies of petrol subsidy removal and unification of forex windows.
The police, military and the Department of State Services had warned against Kenya-styled protests.
The governing All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that the planned protest is a plot to overthrow the civilian government of Tinubu Inaugurated May 29 last year.
Adegboruwa, one of the lawyers for the protesters, had on July 26, 2024, written the IGP to provide police coverage for protesters.
The IGP, in his response letter dated July 29, 2024, directed senior police officers to attend to the request of the senior lawyer.
Egbetokun subsequently requested to meet with Adegboruwa in Abuja on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, “to deliberate further” on his request.
However, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria opted for a virtual meeting with the police boss, enlisting Falana, members of the NBA and others to attend the meeting.
Adegboruwa highlighted some of the points of convergence for the protests as Eagle Square, Abuja; Alausa Park, Lagos; Akpakpava Lane, Benin City; School of Agric, Bauchi; Rosewale Filling Station, Iwo Road, Ibadan; Maiduguri Roundabout, opposite State Stadium, Damaturu, Yobe State; Rainbow Roundabout and Pantani Stadium, River and Freedom Park, Osogbo.
In his speech at Tuesday’s meeting, Egbetokun said some persons calling for violence during the forthcoming protests have been arrested.
After the IGP’s proposal, Adegboruwa said there would be street processions before protesters converged at specific locations sent to the police.
