In a revealing interview on the YouTube channel “State Affairs with Edmund Obilo,” former Osun State Governor Bisi Akande has made startling claims that the 2020 #EndSARS protests in Nigeria, were orchestrated by Obidients with the intent to undermine Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s presidential aspirations.
The #EndSARS movement saw millions of Nigerians rallying in various cities, demanding an end to the abuses by SARS and a comprehensive reform of the Nigerian Police Force. However, according to Akande, the protests had an ulterior motive linked to political machinations.
Akande accused ‘Obidients’ supporters of Peter Obi, a presidential candidate in the 2023 election of being the masterminds behind the protests. He claimed that this group, allegedly funded by nationals in America, engineered the #EndSARS protests to target Tinubu’s political ambitions.
“The EndSARS was aimed and designed to be the end of Tinubu. Those behind the EndSARS knew what they were doing,” Akande stated. He further elaborated that the movement was “manufactured from America just to stop Tinubu,” although he did not provide concrete evidence to support this assertion.
The former governor also shared insights into his conversation with Tinubu before the 2023 presidential race. According to Akande, Tinubu was initially reluctant to enter the presidential race due to financial considerations and health concerns. Akande narrated how he used Yoruba cultural references to persuade Tinubu, likening his candidacy to a sacrificial act for the Yoruba people’s political aspirations.
“I told him, ‘We don’t want you to be president because of you. You are unimportant in this matter. But in Yoruba tradition, when you want to worship the deity, you take the fattest animal or the biggest yam to worship. Yoruba wants to be president, and you are the one we have now. It is to sacrifice you so that we can have a president, not for you to be anything,” Akande recounted.
Akande’s comments have stirred significant debate, particularly around the motives behind the #EndSARS protests, which were perceived by many as a genuine outcry for justice and reform. His allegations introduce a narrative of political manipulation into a movement that was broadly seen as grassroots activism.
This perspective from Akande opens up discussions on the intersection of political strategy, public protests, and the influence of external forces in Nigerian politics. However, without corroborative evidence, these claims remain controversial and speculative, highlighting the complex nature of political discourse in Nigeria.
