As the ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest slated for August approaches, President Bola Tinubu held an emergency closed-door meeting on Thursday with top traditional rulers, security chiefs, and governors from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The meeting took place at the State House in Abuja.
Led by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, APC governors were in attendance. Among the notable traditional rulers present were the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, and the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Saad Abubakar III.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, as well as several ministers and members of the President’s cabinet, also attended the meeting.
President Tinubu, who took office in May 2023, has urged dissatisfied youths to reconsider the planned protest. In a bid to address public grievances, he submitted a bill to the National Assembly proposing an increase in the minimum wage from N30,000 to N70,000. The bill was swiftly passed by both legislative chambers on Tuesday and is now awaiting the President’s approval.
Military authorities have warned that the protest could be exploited by unscrupulous elements to incite chaos, similar to recent events in Kenya. The police have also cautioned against potentially violent demonstrations, echoing concerns raised by Uzodinma about a repeat of the EndSARS protests of October 2020.
The ‘EndBadGovernance’ protest, driven by economic hardships and gaining momentum on social media, is planned to take place across all states of the Federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, in August. The organizers of the protest remain anonymous.
In recent months, Nigerians have faced significant inflation and economic crises, exacerbated by the government’s removal of the petrol subsidy and unification of forex windows.
