New Nationwide Protest Planned for October with Tough Demands

Abuja, NIGERIA — Organizers of the recent #EndBadGovernance protests, which disrupted economic activities across Nigeria, are gearing up for another round of nationwide demonstrations in October.

Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), confirmed the upcoming protests in a statement on Saturday.

The previous protests, held from August 1 to 10, were triggered by worsening economic conditions. Though intended to be peaceful, the protests were marred by violence, resulting in the deaths of 17 participants in cities including Abuja, Kano, Niger, Borno, Kaduna, and Jigawa. The demonstrations also led to injuries and the arrest of over 1,135 individuals nationwide.

In Kano State, some participants engaged in vandalism, looted properties, and displayed Russian flags while calling for military rule. Authorities apprehended about 873 suspects, including a foreign national, who were subsequently transferred to Force Headquarters in Abuja for further investigation on charges of sedition.

Deji Adeyanju is actively working to secure the release of those detained, and Sowore confirmed that some detainees have already been released. He thanked human rights lawyers for their support and warned that the federal government might face an ultimatum if it continues to unjustly detain protesters.

The planned October protest, named #FearlessInOctober, is a response to what organizers view as President Bola Tinubu’s failure to address the demands of the previous protests.

The key demands include:

1. Abolishing the Senate and converting lawmaking into a part-time role, with only the House of Representatives remaining.
2. Raising the minimum wage to at least ₦250,000 per month.
3. Unconditionally releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, demilitarizing the South East, and compensating all EndSARS and political detainees.
4. Eradicating banditry, terrorism, and violent crimes while reforming security agencies to prevent human rights violations.
5. Overhauling the judiciary to eliminate corruption and ensure citizens have access to justice.
6. Implementing diaspora voting.

Sowore stated that the October protests would be more prolonged than those in August and dismissed rumors of ongoing negotiations with the federal government. “I am not part of any negotiations. We are all preparing for the next set of prolonged protests under the banner #FearlessInOctober,” he said.