June 12: Tension as Protesters Mobilise against Tinubu At National Assembly

• The Take It Back Movement moved its protest against President Bola Tinubu's administration to the National Assembly in Abuja
• The protest was expected to draw participants from various civil society groups to campaign against economic hardship
• The organisers described Tinubu’s government as “two years of misrule, hardship, and insecurity”

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

FCT, Abuja - The Take It Back Movement is set to clash with security operatives at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu prepares to address the nation from the legislative headquarters.

The movement had scheduled peaceful protests across 20 states on June 12, calling for better governance, accountability, and action against insecurity and economic hardship.

President Tinubu will address a joint session of the Senate and House of Representatives after cancelling the previously scheduled nationwide broadcast in commemoration of Nigeria’s 26th Democracy Day anniversary on Thursday, June 12, 2025.

Police and other security agencies have increased security across the country ahead of the planned nationwide rallies.

The protest organisers said they intended to take the campaign against economic hardship to the political leaders.

The national Coordinator, Take It Back Movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, said the shift in protest location from Eagle Square to the national assembly did not alter the objective of the demonstration.

Sanyaolu said the movement is to protest the two years of misrule of Tinubu's administration.

“All Nigerians from different walks of life have been mobilised, Nigerians are coming to the streets tomorrow (today) to demand an end to bad governance.

“Nigerians have nothing to lose. Nigerians have been beaten and battered. We are like people who are on the ground; we should have no fear of falling. It is also their constitutional right to protest.

“They have no reason to fear. The worst has happened, and the only way to stop the escalating level of our sorrow, tears and blood they are witnessing is to actually do something by protesting tomorrow. We have nothing to fear and we have nothing to lose but our chains.”

June 12: Update emerges over planned hardship protest

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Lagos State Police Command and 15 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) agreed that Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota will be the only designated venue for the June 12 protests.

Protest groups will gather at Ikeja Under-Bridge and march to Ojota, with an emphasis on peaceful demonstrations and maintaining public order.

The Commissioner of Police assured citizens of adequate security on June 12, urging peaceful conduct while preventing disruptions or violence.

MKO Abiola: Everything to know about June 12

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that June 12 has become Nigeria’s official Democracy Day, but its significance goes far beyond a simple national holiday.

The historic election of 1993, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest, was abruptly annulled, triggering years of political upheaval.

Moshood Abiola, the presumed winner, never assumed office, and his untimely death remains one of the most controversial moments in Nigeria’s democratic journey.

Source: Legit.ng