Shortly after President Bola Tinubu’s national address, a determined group of #EndBadGovernance protesters gathered at Gani Fawehinmi Park on Sunday morning, chanting solidarity songs and voicing their dissatisfaction.
Despite the President’s assurances, the protesters argued that the core issues they raised were not addressed.
Police and other security agencies remained present at the park to monitor the situation.
Earlier in his broadcast, Tinubu urged the youths to suspend their protests and engage in dialogue, emphasizing his administration’s commitment to good governance amidst Nigeria’s socio-economic challenges.
He reiterated that the removal of the petrol subsidy was a necessary, albeit painful, decision for economic reform.
The restoration of the petrol subsidy is one of the protesters’ key demands, alongside addressing economic woes.
Since Tinubu’s announcement of the subsidy removal during his inauguration on May 29, 2023, petrol prices have soared from around N184 to over N700 per litre.
Simultaneously, the unification of forex windows led to the naira’s value plummeting from $1/N700 to over $1/1600 in the parallel market, causing food and basic commodity prices to skyrocket.
The protesters’ demands also include addressing food shortages, unemployment, and reducing wasteful government spending.
They call for a reduction in the President’s cabinet, a decrease in the general cost of governance, immediate reforms of the electoral commission INEC, and the anti-graft agency EFCC, with a renewed focus on fighting corruption among politicians.
