Presidential candidate and activist, Omoleye Sowore, has accused the Nigerian government of being behind violent protests in the country.
His statement is coming three days before the nationwide End Bad Governance protest billed to start on 1 August.
Sowore told Nigeria Info on the Morning Crossfire on Monday that the goal of the peaceful demonstration is to eradicate bad governance.
He accused the government of often resorting to violence during protests to suppress people, citing the 2020 #Endsars protest which was peaceful until the Nigerian government “distributed thugs throughout the country” and turned it violent.
He doubled down by saying the government uses cults, police, and soldiers to introduce violence against young people.
“And they have done it so well that cognitively a lot of people don’t even understand that they are being programmed to believe that something legit is going to become illegitimate,” Sowore said.
We only know that many Nigerians support the planned August protest, he told Nigeria Info.
The ultimate goal is to end the corrupt regime that has led to crimes, poverty, unemployment, and insecurity, he added.
The activist said the “End Bad Governance” mantra started during the 2020 #Endsars protest.
In 2024, the protest is billed from 1 to 15 August because Nigerians are increasingly dissatisfied with the government’s policies, Sowore said.
He also dispelled insinuations that the protest organizers are faceless.
“Those organizing the protests are not faceless,” he told Nigeria Info, informing the public that the lawyer, Samuel Ebunola Adegboruwa, has written to the Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Services (DSS) to protect the protesters.
