The Lagos State organisers of the protest against hardship and bad governance in the country have announced plans to resume their demonstration at Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, on Monday, August 5, 2024, despite recent comments from President Bola Tinubu.
This is contained in a statement issued on Sunday, by Hassan Taiwo, Ayoyinka Oni, and Adegboyega Adeniji on behalf of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Organising Committee, saying that the group expressed disappointment that it took President Tinubu three days of protests to address the nation.
The statement is coming after the President’s broadcast earlier on Sunday, where Tinubu acknowledged the protesters’ concerns and urged them to suspend their demonstrations in favour of dialogue.
“We consider the President’s decision to address the nation an important victory for our movement,” the organizers said.
“Without our courage and resolve to dare the odds, even this acknowledgement would not have happened. So far, we have demonstrated that a President is not greater than the rest of the country,” the statement read.
The group faulted the President for what they described as a dual approach: offering dialogue while also demanding an end to the protests.
They also condemned recent violence against protesters, including attacks by thugs during a Sunday morning worship session and an incident where a protester was struck on live television.
“In our view, the president cannot be approbating and reprobating at the same time. The President cannot offer an olive branch while at the same time holding a dagger to our throat,” the trio said.
The organizers then called on Nigerian youth and the general public to join them at 7 a.m. on Monday at Gani Fawehinmi Park for the fifth day of protests.