The plan for a nationwide protest scheduled to hold on July 29, has continued to gain traction especially across the social media platforms. Those who are nursing or proposing the idea of protest believe that the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s policies in the last one year have made lives more difficult for Nigerians amidst galloping inflation and excruciating cost of living.
Though, the removal of fuel subsidy has led to more revenues accrual to the three tiers of government, Nigerians are yet to see commensurate results particularly at the state and local governments levels. Corruption, unemployment, insecurity and high cost of living are among the reasons stated by the conveners of the planned protest.
While the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, as amended, gives Nigerians the right to freedom of expression, assembly and association, there are, however, limitations to these rights. For instance, one cannot hide under the guise of freedom of expression or assembly to incite public disturbance; the same applies to other fundamental rights enshrined in the constitution and some international charters.
Nigeria has had a chequered history of protests. They included Abeokuta Women’s Revolt in 1929, which was sparked by an increase in student fees; the anti-SAP protest in response to the IMF-imposed Structural Adjustment Programme introduced by the then General Ibrahim Babangida Military Government; the June 12 protest against IBB’s annulment of the 1993 presidential election believed to have been won by late MKO Abiola. Others were Occupy Nigeria in 2012, against the President Goodluck Jonathan’s government following the removal of fuel subsidy. The protest eventually led to the reinstatement of the subsidy and a review of the federal government’s spending. We also had the EndSARS protest in 2020 in response to the human rights abuses by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) that led to the disbandment of the unit, among others.
Besides, our 25 years of uninterrupted democracy is the product of sacrifice, struggles and protests by pro-democracy forces, comprising civil society organisations, the academic community and organised labour. That is why, when rumours of the planned protest filtered into the air and spread like wildfire, nobody opposed it. Protest is normal in a democratic setting. A peaceful protest creates awareness, influences policy change and holds government accountable, among others. But most of the protests that occurred in the country had organisers. Many of such protests were organised by either civil rights organisations or the organised labour. Thus, one is worried about who the real conveners are. With many groups distancing themselves from the planned protest, it seems there is much ado about it.
A protest without coordinating leadership can be hijacked by criminals or enemies of the state to cause anarchy. Nigerians have witnessed many protests which were tagged peaceful but turned out to be violent. The consequences were loss of lives and wanton destruction of properties. Even the African countries that embarked on protests such as Libya, Sudan, Tunisia, Egypt and Kenya are not better off today. Those countries are more fragmented than they were before the protests. In saner societies or advanced democracies, people use election period to effect necessary changes. Nigerians should wait for the 2027 general elections to exercise their franchise – whether to return President Tinubu for a second term or not. The same applies for other elective seats. Any protest at this point in time can be infiltrated by fifth columnists or street urchins to cause mayhem. However, there is the need for government at all levels to come up with more humane policies towards lessening the suffering of Nigerians.
Pambegua wrote from Kaduna State
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