EndBadGovernance Protests: Tinubu Totally Ignored Public Demands In National Broadcast, Like A Despot– Inibehe Effiong
Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has criticized President Bola Tinubu for failing to address the specific demands of protesters in his recent national broadcast. Effiong’s remarks come amid the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests, which have entered their fourth day, with demonstrators calling for an end to hardship and poor governance.
In his Sunday morning address, President Tinubu urged protesters to suspend their demonstrations to prevent further violence and bloodshed. However, he did not address the core demands of the protesters, who are calling for the reinstatement of the fuel subsidy to alleviate the burden of soaring prices.
Effiong took to his X account on Sunday to express his discontent, stating that those who crafted President Tinubu’s speech have only reinforced the justification for the nationwide protests. He described the administration as anti-people and accused it of being disconnected from the realities faced by ordinary Nigerians.
“It is a confirmation of my long-held view that we are dealing with a fatalistic political class that is intentionally deaf and willfully blind to the sufferings and yearnings of Nigerians,” Effiong wrote. “This President is disconnected from the reality of the everyday Nigerian. He’s living in an imaginary Nigeria that only exists in his head. The speech couldn’t have been more meaningless and aimless.”
Effiong criticized Tinubu for not addressing key issues such as electoral reform, reversing detrimental economic policies, or reducing the size of his government. He argued that the President’s response was typical of despots who ignore the agitations of the masses.
“Great leaders make sacrifices for their country, but terrible leaders like Tinubu only know how to sacrifice the country for their interest,” Effiong continued. “It is not his voice that people wanted to hear; people wanted him to speak directly to their demands. His call for dialogue is in bad faith. He did not address the mindless killing of protesters by security agencies in any meaningful way. He also did not set up any credible machinery for a purposeful dialogue.”
Effiong further criticized Tinubu’s assertion that the protests are politically motivated, calling it a display of arrogance by Nigerian politicians. He warned that this attitude would eventually be challenged by the Nigerian people.
The #EndBadGovernance protests continue to gain momentum as citizens demand meaningful changes and accountability from their leaders.
