Nigeria is bracing for a wave of nationwide protests set to commence on August 1, 2024. The demonstrations, sparked by widespread economic hardship and discontent with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, have drawn strong reactions from both the government and the public.
Dr. Raji Bello, an academic with wide following on social media, raised issues with the tendency of activists in Nigeria to rely on protests as a means to improve governance in a democracy. He argued that activists should have leveraged their discontent at the ballot box during the last election and prevented the election of another APC government “after untold suffering by the people after the previous one”.
Bello’s post was met with a mix of agreement and dissent, highlighting the deep divisions within Nigerian society over how best to use democratic rights to effect an improvement in governance outcomes.
Bello’s Facebook post called out Yazeed, a prominent national protest promoter, for discussing plans to block access to Abuja, equating it to coup plotting.
This truly suggests that the problem of Nigerian democracy may be a lazy opposition that does no serious thinking about policy, development and governance and arrives in power unprepared for the task of governance with little more than shallow slogans.
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He emphasised that the democratic process is the proper channel for change, urging Nigerian youth to focus on impacting election outcomes by holding politicians accountable through their votes.
In response, some individuals, such as Abdullahi Jalo, argued that peaceful demonstrations are a vital part of democracy and have historically led to significant change, citing Kenya as a recent example. However, Bello maintained that a plan to block access to Abuja was not peaceful.
The context for Bello’s criticism is the planned “10 Days of Rage” protests set to begin on August 1st. These protests aim to address the soaring cost of living, economic hardship, and other grievances under the Tinubu administration. The United Nations has already expressed concerns about the potential for these protests to be hijacked by groups with ulterior motives, possibly leading to violence, as seen in past protests.
Also Read: More Older Nigerians Supported #EndSARS Protests Than the Young – API Polls
Protest without Agenda?
Alli-Balogun H.Lekan, Group Executive at Hallizview Group also criticised the planned protests, listing the “Characteristics of a Successful Protest”.
Are anti-Tinubu protests democratic?
https://x.com/allibaloo/status/1815992463980417192
In response, Nicholas Ibekwe wrote about the planned anti-Tinubu protest: “Forget this egbon’s weak attempt to sound analytical & objective. You see that paragraph after the list? Yeah, that one. That is what they’ve told themselves this protest is about. And that is what will inform the ferocity of their countermeasures. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Democracy in Action: Anarchy, Rights or a Lazy Democracy ?
An anonymous commentator told Arbiterz that protests are not a substitute for an effective opposition that which Nigerian progressive politicians and activists have failed to invest in building, leading to a recycling of the same old politicians and poor grasp of policymaking and execution. He commented, “protest is not policy”, and asked “what did Nigeria gain from the January 2012 anti-fuel subsidy protests?”
He pointed out the same politicians allied to President Tinubu who prevented the elimination of the fuel subsidy are in power after 12 years grappling with the ruinous economic burden of the fuel subsidy. He further argued that a democratically elected government has the rights to implement economic policies it considers the best set of policies for national economic development, “what the opposition should offer is robust and considered criticism of these policies and not protests without agenda or vision.”
Nigeria’s main opposition parties, the Peoples’ Democratic Party and the Labour Party have largely gone comatose after losing the 2023 elections, battling with different degrees of internal disputes. The opposition political parties have been so ineffective in providing coherent criticism of policy and governance, they lack their own policy positions and have been almost entirely mute on big economic policy questions such as the management of foreign exchange, inflation and oil and gas sector reform.
This truly suggests that the problem of Nigerian democracy may be a lazy opposition that does no serious thinking about policy, development and governance and arrives in power unprepared for the task of governance with little more than shallow slogans.
Hence, the debate on social media about the planned protests highlights a broader question about the nature of democracy in Nigeria. On one side are those who, like Raji Bello, argue that the true power of democracy lies in the ballot box and that protests should be a last resort, used only when all other democratic mechanisms have failed. On the other side are those who see peaceful protests as an essential part of democratic engagement, a way for citizens to hold their leaders accountable between elections.
This debate is not unique to Nigeria. Across the world, democracies are grappling with similar questions about how to balance the need for stability with the right to protest. The outcome of the upcoming protests in Nigeria could have significant implications not just for the country, but for democratic movements around the world.
Government Response: Calls for Calm and Warnings
President Tinubu has called for the protest organizers to reconsider their plans, urging patience and promising that the government is working on addressing their concerns. The Nigerian government has outlined several measures aimed at alleviating the economic hardship, including the swift passage of a National Minimum Wage bill and the distribution of grains and rice to state governments. Information Minister Mohammed Idris emphasised that these steps are just the beginning of broader efforts to support Nigerians during these challenging times.
However, not all government responses have been conciliatory.
Dada Olusegun, the President’s special assistant on social media, issued a stark warning to the protesters. He equated the demonstrators to those who wish to “burn the country down” and promised that they would face the “strongest resistance” from Tinubu’s supporters.
Opposition Accusations: A Contested Blame Game
The opposition has not been silent in this heated environment. Supporters of Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate, have been accused by the presidency of orchestrating the protests as a means to destabilise the government. Bayo Onanuga, a media aide to the President, alleged that Obi’s supporters were using propaganda to incite unrest and labelled the planned protests as treasonous. He suggested that the hashtags “EndBadGovernance” and “Tinubu Must Go” were thinly veiled calls for a coup.
In response, Obi’s campaign team vehemently denied these accusations. Yunusa Tanko, a spokesman for Obi, argued that the protests were a legitimate reaction to the government’s failure to address the economic woes affecting all Nigerians, not just a political maneuver. He emphasized that the hardship experienced by Nigerians is a direct result of the current administration’s policies, not a conspiracy led by the opposition.
Civil Society and Public Opinion: Diverse Perspectives
Public opinion on the protests is deeply divided. While some, like Raji Bello, believe that the ballot box is the proper venue for expressing discontent, others argue that peaceful demonstrations are a vital part of democratic expression. Abdullahi Jalo, another Facebook user, countered Bello’s view by pointing to the importance of peaceful protests in effecting change, citing Kenya as a recent example.
The planned protests have evoked memories of the 2020 EndSARS demonstrations against police brutality, which led to significant unrest and violence. This historical context adds a layer of complexity to the current situation, as both the government and the public grapple with the potential for a repeat of such events.
Economic Hardship: The Root of Discontent
At the heart of the protests is the severe economic hardship faced by many Nigerians. Rising food prices, high energy costs, and widespread unemployment have created a sense of desperation among the populace. The recent increase in the price of a bag of rice to N80,000 has been particularly emblematic of the economic crisis, drawing widespread anger and frustration.
The government’s efforts to address these issues have been met with skepticism. While measures such as the minimum wage increase and food distribution are steps in the right direction, many Nigerians feel that these actions are too little, too late. The perception that the government is out of touch with the everyday struggles of its citizens has only fueled the desire for direct action through protests.
A Nation at a Crossroads
As Nigeria prepares for the August 1 protests, the nation finds itself at a critical juncture. The decisions made in the coming days and weeks will shape the country’s democratic trajectory and its approach to governance. Whether through the ballot box or the streets, Nigerians are determined to make their voices heard. The challenge for the government will be to listen and respond in a way that addresses the root causes of discontent while maintaining peace and stability.
The upcoming protests, and the reactions to them, will be a test of Nigeria’s democratic resilience. It is a moment that calls for thoughtful leadership, both from the government and from the protesters. As the situation unfolds, the world will be watching to see how Nigeria navigates this complex and critical period in its history.
