Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong has criticized the Lagos State government, led by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for permitting pro-government protesters to block traffic while rejecting anti-government protests. Effiong made his remarks in response to social media videos showing Lagos residents obstructing traffic in protest against the planned August #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria demonstration. He called out the state government for its hypocrisy in accepting pro-government rallies but disallowing those against the government.
In a post on his X social media platform, Effiong stated, “These are ‘protesters’ obstructing traffic in Lagos State. The police and other security agencies, government officials, and their supporters have not condemned it. Pro-government rallies are acceptable to them, but anti-government protests are unacceptable. Hypocrites.”
Previously, SaharaReporters reported that All Progressives Congress (APC) state chairmen from all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) pledged to protect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration from destabilization attempts through protests. At a press conference held at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, Alphonsus Ogar Eba, chairman of the Cross River State chapter and Secretary of the APC States Chairmen Forum, alongside his colleagues, stated that the planned 10-day #EndBadGovernance protest aimed to undermine Tinubu’s government. They warned that violent protests would be counterproductive and committed to staying vigilant against actions that could disrupt governance or incite unrest. The chairmen announced plans to mobilize party structures from the ward level to the national level between July 29 and August 11, 2024, to showcase President Tinubu’s commendable projects and programs.
Additionally, SaharaReporters noted that the Nigerian Army has deployed armed soldiers and armored tanks to strategic locations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest approaches. Videos and images on social media showed armed security operatives and armored tanks occupying Eagle Square, the proposed venue for the protest in Abuja.
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