Former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, and the convener of the Take-It-Back movement, Omoyele Sowore, has commended the success of the 10-day #EndBadGovernance protests in Nigeria.
Sowore highlighted the achievements of the protests,
stressing that it succeeded before, during and after the demonstration that was
strategically planned and executed.
Speaking during an X Space discussion titled
“#EndBadGovernance in Nigeria Protest: What Next?”, held on Saturday, Sowore
insisted that the demonstration was a success.
The convener of #RevolutionNow Movement explained that the
first 10 days of the anti-bad governance protests were announced almost a month
in advance, giving the movement ample time to gain momentum.
“The oppressed Nigerians succeeded before the protest,
during the protest, and continue to succeed after the protest,” he emphasized,
noting that this marked three distinct waves of success.
“Before the protest, we knew what we were doing despite
concerns that the announcement might allow the government to sabotage it.
“As the saying goes, “‘Anything not properly planned is
planned to fail,’ but we were prepared. We identified 15 different tactics used
to try and sabotage the protests,” he said.
Sowore said in the South-South, they brought out former
militant Asari Dokubo, who threatened that no protests would occur there.
He said, “In Lagos and the Southwest, they distributed money
street by street and threatened people with thugs. They even announced that all
secret cult members had been relocated to Lagos.
“In Abuja, they used heavy-handed tactics, but despite these
threats, we prevailed.”
He noted that the protests started strong on the first day,
especially in Abuja.
Sowore said that despite the initial skepticism, by the end
of the day, the protests had spread, with thousands joining in Kano, Maiduguri,
and other places.
He said by 4 pm, it was clear that the protests had gripped
the entire nation, adding that those who thought it would fizzle out were
surprised.
Sowore said, “On the second day, the military was drafted in
to intimidate people. Our northern colleagues faced harassment in Sokoto and
Kaduna, with arrests in Kano, but we managed to get them released in time for
the protests.”
He said the army even threatened the media to prevent
coverage, but this didn’t discourage people as more cities, including Port
Harcourt, Kano, and Yobe joined in full force.
According to Sowore, “This was one of the most extensive
protests we’ve seen in Nigeria in a long time, both in terms of geographic
reach and the unity of the oppressed”.
“I want to keep thanking those who participated, especially
those on TikTok who kept mobilizing people.
“Thanks also to those who protested in London, New York, and
other places I haven’t mentioned. In terms of reach, impact, and demography,
this was a protest that spanned all generations.”
He added that in Lagos, there was a judgment that restricted
protests to Ojota, and in Abuja, to the MKO Abiola National Stadium.
“We see this all the time whenever there’s a mass revolt—the
ruling class often overreaches. One of the first casualties of these protests
were those court orders. As soon as the protests began, people broke through
any barriers,” he said.
Sowore added that in Lagos, the protests at Ojota were well
attended, but there were also smaller groups in Alausa and other places. In
Abuja, the court orders quickly became irrelevant.
He said a federal judge even refused to issue more orders
because they were starting to sound ridiculous.
“Ogun State had an order, but protests still happened there,
not confined to the designated areas.
“These court orders failed completely to prevent the
protests. The intention was not to manage where people could exercise their
rights but to prevent protests altogether,” he said.
He said when the protests succeeded, even those at the
designated areas like Ojota and the National Stadium were attacked by the
police and Department of State Services.
According to him, the judges didn’t care about this, showing
that the orders were not legitimate.
“As I’ve always said, if the law keeps breaking the people,
the people will eventually break the law to free themselves,” he added.
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