- Thirteen prominent civil society organizations criticized President Tinubu for inadequately addressing demands from the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests, which began on August 1
- The CSOs urged the government to engage in dialogue with protesters and address their concerns, warning that continued aggression could escalate tensions
Thirteen of Nigeria’s prominent civil society organizations (CSOs) have criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for not effectively addressing the demands of the ongoing nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests. In a joint statement, the leaders of these organizations expressed their concerns.
The protests, which began on August 1, stemmed from the sudden removal of the fuel subsidy announced by President Tinubu during his inaugural address on May 29, 2023. The protests have continued for six days, resulting in the reported deaths and injuries of dozens of protesters at the hands of security operatives, raising criticism of the federal government’s handling of the situation.
The CSOs, including Accountability Lab Nigeria, BudgIT Foundation, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria, #FixPolitics, Global Rights, Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA), Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC), Sesor Empowerment Foundation, TechHer, Women Advocate Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC), and Yiaga Africa, stated that President Tinubu’s response has been inadequate.
“Unfortunately, he (President Tinubu) did not address the core demands of Nigerians across the country who are calling for good governance and immediate change from the downward trend in accountability and social development,” the CSOs said.
They noted that in his 38-paragraph speech, President Tinubu focused on government policies aimed at long-term economic improvement but failed to address the immediate concerns of the protesters. Additionally, he did not acknowledge the extrajudicial killings of protesters by security forces or assure the nation that those responsible would be held accountable.
As stated in the Nigerian Constitution, the CSOs emphasized the importance of engaging with citizens based on their needs and demands. They pointed out that except for increased investment in agriculture and student loan disbursements, other demands, such as protecting farms and farmers, human capital development, electoral reform, establishing a living wage, and constitutional and judicial reforms, were largely ignored.
The CSOs urged the government to engage in sincere dialogue with the protesters, starting with the immediate release of all peaceful protesters who were arrested and sanctions against security agents who attacked unarmed protesters. They warned that continued aggression by security forces could make it difficult to broker a dialogue.
The CSOs recommended that representatives of the National Peace Committee and reputable civil society groups serve as facilitators and observers of the dialogue process and its outcomes. They also urged the federal government to address the protesters’ low-hanging requests as a sign of its commitment to citizen-centred governance and leadership.
“The protesters have said they will continue their peaceful demands on the streets until Saturday, August 10. We urge the federal government to concede the low-hanging requests as a reassurance of its commitment to citizen-centred governance and leadership,” the CSOs concluded.