The leaders of the #EndBadGovernance protests have demanded the release of 1,150 people allegedly arrested by the police during the first three days of the nationwide rallies.
In response to the appeal by President Bola Tinubu to end the protest, which has claimed several lives, following his broadcast on Sunday morning, the organisers: Take It Back Movement, Youth Rights Campaign and the Creative Change Centre, in separate interviews on Sunday, vowed to carry on with the demonstration, stating that Tinubu did not address their demands in his Sunday morning national broadcast.
Tinubu had called for dialogue and an immediate end to the nationwide protests that have rocked the nation since Thursday.
The President, who said his administration was ready to listen to and address the concerns of the protesters, claimed he has heard their calls “loud and clear.”
He also commiserates with the families of Nigerians who died during clashes with security forces and those who lost property to lootings recorded in various states.
Responding to Tinubu’s appeal, the Director of Mobilisation, Take It Back movement, Damilare Adenola, said the group would continue to mobilise mass support for the demonstration and demand the unconditional release of protesters in custody.
The Civil Society Situation Room had in a statement on Friday said 1,150 persons had been arrested, 21 killed and injured during confrontations with security agencies.
Assessing the President’s address, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, described as retrogressive, the response of the Federal Government to the ongoing protest in the country.
Soyinka, in a statement titled, ‘The hunger march as universal mandate’ and issued in Abeokuta, Ogun State, condemned the use of force on the protesters, noting that this was uncivil and might pave the way for further unrest.
A former education minister, Dr Obiageli Ezekwesili, equally expressed disappointment over Tinubu’s broadcast, describing it as underwhelming.
“Your speech reads like a page from your party manifesto and terribly fails to connect to what our citizens on the streets are angry and protesting about.
‘’Your speech is quite a monumental missed opportunity to placate citizens with sound answers and outline of convincing evidence-based actions that you and your @NigeriaGov will immediately take to address the priority #BadGovernance concerns,’’ she posted on x.com
