Breaking: Nationwide Protest Declared in Nigeria Over Hardship Under Tinubu’s Govt, Date Unveiled

• The EndBadGovernance movement has announced a plan to stage nationwide protests in June
• One of the leaders of the movement, Comrade Hassan Soweto, spoke at a press conference in Lagos
• It remains to be seen whether the Nigerian government will try to push back against the protests

Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering public affairs and governance.

Ikeja, Lagos state - The #EndBadGovernance movement on Thursday, May 29, announced its plan to stage protests across Nigeria on Thursday, June 12.

Legit.ng reports that June 12 is Democracy Day in Nigeria, a national public holiday, commemorating the 1993 presidential election that was annulled by the military. The election was won by Moshood Abiola (of blessed memory), a popular entrepreneur.

Activists eye June 12 for protest

As reported by Daily Trust, Hassan Soweto, one of the leaders of the EndBadGovernance movement, announced the imminent protest at a press conference in Lagos state.

According to Soweto, the demonstration is aimed at expressing dissatisfaction with the Bola Tinubu administration over its economic reforms "which have triggered hardship".

Soweto posited that the removal of subsidy and unification of the naira have adversely affected the economy, pushing many citizens into hardship.

He said:

“Another result of Tinubu’s two-year presidency is the asphyxiation of the national economy due to the adverse effect of the removal of oil subsidy and naira devaluation.”

“Without equivocation, we have to say that the past two years of President Tinubu’s government has been nothing short of a disaster for the mass of Nigerian people. The anti-poor and neo-liberal reforms of the regime have led to destruction of livelihoods and the economy on a scale previously unimagined."

Legit.ng recalls that in August 2024, protests erupted in multiple cities across Nigeria as frustrated citizens took to the streets, voicing their anger over alleged increasing hunger and “bad governance.”

The demonstrations, dubbed "10 days of rage", were part of a larger wave of unrest spreading across Africa in places such as Kenya, Uganda, Ghana and Nigeria.

The demonstrations spiralled out of control in parts of the country, including the northern Yobe and Kano states where authorities declared a 24-hour curfew as private and public properties were looted in chaotic scenes that also saw many vehicles burned.

The following month, at least 10 people who took part in the protests were charged with treason and other serious offences at the federal high court in the capital, Abuja.

All of the accused pleaded not guilty.

The protests turned violent in some places as protesters clashed with security forces leaving at least seven dead, according to police, though rights groups put the death toll at 23.

In November 2024, it emerged that some minors of northern extraction who participated in the EndBadGovernance protest were arrested and incarcerated. Following public outcry, President Tinubu ordered their release.

The presidential directive was disclosed by Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and national orientation, while briefing State House correspondents after meeting with the president.

Protest hits Adamawa as tensions rise

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that tensions were high in Adamawa state, as students of Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola, took to the streets to protest the prolonged power outage in the institution.

The protest, which started peacefully within the campus, quickly spilled into surrounding streets as students, chanting “we want electricity,” demanded urgent action from the school's management and government authorities.

Source: Legit.ng