Lagos Protesters to Resume Demonstrations Despite Presidential Address

Organizers of the ‘End Hunger’ protest in Lagos have announced plans to continue their demonstrations at Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, today Monday, August 5, 2024, despite President Bola Tinubu Sunday’s official address to the nation.

The protest leaders expressed disappointment that it took three days of demonstrations for the President to respond, and criticized his mixed message of offering dialogue while calling for an end to the protests.

In a statement, the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria Organizing Committee praised the President’s acknowledgement of their movement as a “partial victory,” but emphasized that their demands for governance reform remain unmet. They condemned recent violence against protesters, including attacks by thugs and an incident where a demonstrator was struck on live television.

The organizers argued that the President’s simultaneous offer of dialogue and demand for protest cessation is contradictory, stating, “The President cannot offer an olive branch while holding a dagger to our throat.” They called on Nigerian youth, the general public, and civil society organizations to join them at 7 a.m. on Monday, today for the fifth day of protests.