Protesters Pushback As #EndBadGovernance Protest Enters Day 2

The #EndBadGovernance protesters may demand the resignation of President Bola Tinubu after at least 13 Nigerians were reported killed by security operatives as the protest against bad governance and hunger enters day two.  Dubbed “Ten Days of Rage”,  fatalities have been confirmed in Niger, Kaduna, and Borno states following clashes between protesters and security forces. In response to the escalating violence, Kano, Yobe, and Borno states have imposed a 24-hour curfew.

On Thursday, August 1, 2024, Nigerians across states took to the streets to protest against the soaring cost of living and the mismanagement of Nigeria’s resources under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Since his inauguration in May 2023, which was heralded by the removal of the fuel subsidy, petrol prices have risen, and Nigeria’s food inflation stands at nearly 35%, the highest in three decades.

One protester expressed the desperation felt by many, saying, “Staying home doesn’t save me from the hunger in the land. I should be on the streets. Hunger should kill me here.”

Despite prior warning from the government to halt the protests, demonstrators have continued with the protests facing heavy crackdown from security forces. The federal government, through its officials, urged Nigerians to delay the protests to give President Tinubu some more time to fulfill his campaign promise of “renewed hope.” However, many protesters argue that the president’s actions do not reflect the realities of their worsening economic conditions. Since taking office, President Bola Tinubu has sent a supplementary budget to the National Assembly that included allocations for luxury items such as luxury cars,  a yacht, and more recently, the purchase of a new private jet and the completion of an opulent Vice President’s residence. Critics have condemned the expenditure as out of touch with the economic hardships faced by ordinary Nigerians.

Amnesty International has condemned the violent response to the protests. The human rights organization stated, “Nigerian authorities’ fierce clampdown on peaceful protests yesterday and the harmful rhetoric by government officials appear to be part of a broader strategy to justify restricting the right to peaceful protest.”

Protesters had earlier warned that if protesters were killed, then their demands would escalate to a call for President Tinubu’s resignation. Inspired by recent successful protests in Kenya, which led to the retraction of the Finance Act, the demonstrators are also calling for the reversal of the fuel subsidy removal, the release of detainees from the End SARS protests of 2023, and the reduction in government spending, among other reforms.