Protests rock Nigeria’s Democracy Day over hardship

There were protests yesterday, June 12, in several state capitals, including Lagos, Osogbo in Osun State, and Benin, Edo State.

The protesters led by rights activists and civil society activists who marched along some major streets called on the federal government to address hunger, inflation and insecurity in the country, reports Daily Sun.

In Lagos, the protesters converged under the Ikeja Bridge in Lagos, in their numbers and chanted solidarity songs and displayed placards with different inscriptions like, “Cost of living is becoming unbearable,” “We demand for better governance; payment of living wage to all Nigerians,” and others.

One of the speakers, Mr Omotaje Olawale, said the current electoral process was faulty from the beginning, and was imposed on Nigerians by the military government.

He said that though many Nigerians, including MKO Abiola, the acclaimed winner of the 1993 presidential election knew this faulty electoral process, they chose not to quit.

He noted that too much power had been given to those in authority, while the electorate were left unprotected, living at the mercy of a few Nigerians handling the ‘national cakes.’

Funmi Ajayi of the Activists for the Masses Coalition, called on those in authority to listen to average Nigerians.

He said democracy should address hunger, inflation, insecurity and basic needs of average Nigerians.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr. Adegoke Fayoade, led the police personnel and other security agencies in providing security.

Fayoade explained that though the protesters were peaceful in their conduct, security personnel had to be on ground to prevent the process from being hijacked by undesirable elements.

In Ibadan, Oyo State, five protesters wearing ‘Revolution Now’ jackets were arrested at Mokola Roundabout by the police.

They were among protesters who gathered to demonstrate under the aegis of ‘Take It Back Movements’ in collaboration with Concerned Nigerians, another advocacy and human rights group.

The protesters had gathered for a peaceful protest on the state of the nation. They began protesting around 9.15 a.m., singing songs, displaying a long banner and placards with inscriptions like ‘We are hungry,’ ‘Justice cannot be silenced,’ ‘The power of people is greater than the people in power,’ ‘United we stand, divided we fall.’

They demanded an end to hardship in the country, insecurity, police brutality and kidnapping, reversal of electricity tariff hike, and an end to attacks on press freedom, among other things.

In Benin, protesters under the Edo State Civil Society Organisation (EDOSCO) called on the federal government to put an end to the suffering of the masses.

Mr. Kola Edokpayi, one of the leaders, said they came out to vent their frustration over the state of the nation.

“We totally reject this brand of democracy being practised in the country. This democracy is not for the people, it is against the people. We cannot continue to be silent in the midst of poverty, hardship, and unemployment.

“The reason we are out today is to vent our frustration over the state of the nation. The masses are suffocating due to the iron grip of hunger, poverty and economic downturn under President Bola Tinubu.”

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ of President Tinubu’s administration was on course, with better days ahead for Nigerians.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, said this in a statement yesterday in Abuja, while congratulating Nigerians on the occasion of 2024 Democracy Day.

“We remember and celebrate our illustrious patriots, whose conviction and sacrifices bequeathed to us the democracy that we celebrate today.

“Following protracted military rule, civilian democracy was restored to our dear nation in 1999, and has now endured for 25 years, uninterrupted.

“With strident hope for a future of democratic consolidation and prosperity for our people, all Nigerians must take pride in this remarkable achievement,” Morka said.

He said that embedded in the idea of political democracy, was the intrinsic and instrumental value of the sovereign power that it bestowed on citizens to choose who governed them.

Morka said that it also granted citizens the power to hold those they elected into political offices accountable, through periodic elections and other constitutionally enshrined mechanisms.

“However, like with every human device and agency, democracy is not without its imperfections and challenges; our country has had its fair share of setbacks, pain and disappointments.

“These are inevitable and inescapable by-products of democratic construction, but most importantly, it has set us irreversibly on course, to build a strong, vibrant, and resilient nation.

“Democracy provides us the opportunity of essential freedom to harness our finest human and material resources, under the participatory authority of our people for beneficial and sustainable governance,” he said.

Morka described President Tinubu as a veteran advocate, a defender of democracy, and an exemplary progressive and visionary leader, whose contributions to the enthronement of democracy and nation building were simply monumental.

He said that in just over one year in office, the Tinubu-led administration had made impressive gains, revamping infrastructure to support the massive expansion of the Nigerian economy.

Morka said that the administration had also implemented multi-sector reforms to remove age-long debilitating policy distortions and contradictions in the economy.

He said the administration had tackled insecurity, revitalised the country’s security architecture, and channelled resources to important social investments.

Morka said it also focused on poverty alleviation initiatives and initiated constructive engagements with relevant stakeholders, aimed at achieving better wages and living standards for citizens.

“Tinubu’s bold target of building a $1 trillion economy for Nigeria in a few short years received amplified validation by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

“With its recent forecast that Nigeria’s economy would be nearly $2 trillion by 2029, there can be no better indication that the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ is right on course, and that our best days are ahead.

“Being a clear-sighted democrat, President Tinubu is fully conscious of the existential challenges confronting our people, particularly, the unintended economic hardship of necessary policies that he has enacted to reset our economy for sustainable growth and development,” the APC spokesman said.

He said Tinubu, like others before him, could have taken the easy and convenient road, doing more of the same, while the nation’s economic challenges persisted.

Morka said demonstrating courage, Tinubu decided to walk the difficult path and tackle those challenges at their roots.

“He remains steadfast and committed to delivering a better, safer, stronger and more prosperous country; while taking deliberate and necessary measures to mitigate transient reform attendant hardships,” he said.

Morka thanked Nigerians for their unwavering support for the Tinubu-led administration and the APC.

He expressed confidence that the democracy being celebrated would usher in an era of economic freedom and secure a brighter future for Nigerians.