#EndBadGovernance: Ibadan youths join nationwide protest against Tinubu’s “anti-people’s policies”

Scores of the youth in Ibadan, Oyo State capital, on Tuesday joined their counterparts nationwide to protest against what they described as President Bola Tinubu’s anti-people’s policies.

The protesters, who condemned the fuel subsidy removal, increased electricity tariffs, high cost of living, and the profligacy of the government, sought the reversal of the policies to improve the people’s living conditions.

The protesters were led by the leadership of “Take It Back Movement,” a socio-political movement founded by the Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2023 general elections, Omoyele Sowore.

As early as 9:16 a.m., the protesters had barricaded the popular Mokola roundabout in Ibadan.

They carried larger banners and placards bearing various inscriptions such as: “Hunger Dey,” “We are Hungry,” “End Bad Governance Now,” and “Revolution Now.”

Ibadan protests

Participants speak

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on the protest ground, Solomon Emiola, one of the conveners of the protest in Ibadan, said the unmet demands in the previous protests informed the decision to stage another protest tagged #EndBadGovernance 2.0.

Mr Emiola said the group will not stop protesting until all demands are met.

He said the anti-people policies implemented by the government at all levels have kept Nigerians from achieving real independence, saying the policymakers at all levels have consistently made life miserable for the citizens.

He said: “In reality, we are still dependent because all anti-people policies violate the ethics and laws of humanity. The cost of living is prohibitively expensive, and we no longer receive any educational or petroleum subsidies. This is destroying our future, which is why we protest.

Ibadan protests

“The solutions to all our problems in this country are: The presidency should revive all our refineries, all our privatised assets should be nationalised, and they should cut ties with the IMF and the World Bank.”

Responding to the President’s 64th Independence Day speech, the State Public Relations Officer of Take-It-Back Movement, Ekanem Goodwill, said the promise of youth confab is a distraction from the ongoing protests across the country, citing the Federal Government’s history of unfulfilled promises.

“We are not falling for their trick because they cannot silence us. It is not today Government has been making promise. It is a known game since 1960. Seeing is believing,” Mr Ekanem said.

Ibadan protests

Security operatives on ground

The protest ground was monitored and guarded by the operatives of Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Army and Western Nigerian Security Network (Amotekun).

Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES via WhatsApp, Oyo State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, said the constitution recognised deliberate efforts guided by standard practices to be emplaced to prevent “sinister-minded individuals or groups from hijacking the process at the various designated locations for the peaceful processions.”

READ ALSO: #EndBadGovernance: Thugs take over protest ground, vows to beat up journalists

“Our Area Commanders across the length and breadth of the Command have been directed to personally lead convoy patrols at their respective jurisdictions in a bid to increase the layers of supervision of field operatives under their watch during this period,” Mr Osifeso said.

The demands of the demonstrators include: An end to hunger in the country, reversal of the hike in tuition fees, improved funding for education, reversal of fuel subsidy removal, reversal of electricity subsidy removal, and the release of all #EndBadGovernence protesters nationwide, among others.