The Executive Director, Global Rights Nigeria, Abiodun Baiyewu, has said there is no indication that the Tinubu administration will take a different approach to handling protests.
She said that since the August #EndBadGovernance
The group expressed its concern that the government has shown a deep intolerance to dissent, and there is little reason to believe they will be more receptive to protesters’ demands this time around.
According to Baiyewu, “The citizens are angry. The spurious charge of treason has also driven dissent underground. At this point, no one knows what is next. If it does not happen on the 1st of October, it would eventually spontaneously combust.”
“The President addressed the nation on August 4th during the initial days of the protests. In his speech, he avoided addressing the core issues driving the protests, namely, high inflation, widespread poverty exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidies, and the increasing insecurity across Nigeria.
“He highlighted programs and initiatives his administration was implementing and urged citizens to be patient with economic reforms, insisting things would improve in the future.
“However, his speech lacked clarity on how the government would share the burden of these challenges. Many civic actors and commentators expressed disappointment with the substance of the address.
“On August 8th, the Head of Media, Presidential Community Engagement Office, Ms. Seun Ajayi, stated that she and six Senior Special Assistants to the President on Community Engagement had been tasked with engaging citizens about the protests.
“However, none of us is aware that such engagements took place or what their outcomes were. The frustrations that fuelled the #EndBadGovernance protests largely persist. In fact, there has been an increase in the price of gasoline since the protests, worsening citizens’ discontent.”
She further said, “I don’t believe the government was ready for dialogue with protesters. The initial reaction to the #EndBadGovernance protests was to dismiss them as politically motivated by opposition forces.
“The government then paid lip service to understanding the grievances, but its actions did not reflect this. In his August 4th speech, President Tinubu advocated for patience, but the government cannot in good faith expect Nigerians to bear the economic burden while it continues to spend taxpayer funds recklessly.
“The President frequently embarks on extravagant foreign trips accompanied by a large entourage, with no benefits felt by Nigerians. The recent purchase of a presidential yacht and plane is just as wasteful, especially when citizens struggle to afford the barest necessities.
“Moreover, Tinubu has insisted that there will be no reversal on the fuel subsidy removal, a central demand of the protesters. Given these fundamental differences in viewpoints, it is unlikely the government is genuinely interested in engaging with protesters.
“The government has also gone to great lengths to suppress the protests, infringing on protesters’ human rights. From obtaining court orders to limit the protests’ scope to the unlawful arrests and prosecution of protesters for charges as serious as treason, the government has little appetite for dialogue. In some instances, protesters were even killed by Nigerian law enforcement!”
Baiyewu also spoke about her concerns about protesters still remanded in prison custody, saying, “The main concern is that the Nigerian state is violating their constitutionally guaranteed rights to peacefully assemble, associate, and express themselves.
“Another issue is the judiciary, which was once regarded as the ‘Last Hope of the Common Man,’ being wielded by the state as a tool against the people. It is absurd that peaceful protesters were arrested and charged with crimes like treason.
“Equally troubling is that some judges are imposing extreme and excessive bail conditions for their release rather than dismissing these baseless charges. Additionally, some of the arrested protesters are children who have no business being detained.”
She expressed her view on intervention by the NBA and the NHRC for the release of protesters in prison custody: “The Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, has worked with civil society organizations to secure the release of protesters in Kano.
“However, regarding the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, while the Commission acknowledged human rights violations during the #EndBadGovernance protests, there is no information that suggests that they are working to ensure the release of the protesters.”
