In all democracies, liberal or representative, the right to a peaceful protest is a cardinal principle which defines the concept of democracy and freedom. In fact, in civil and democratic societies, individuals and the general public organize and express their demands in different ways and through strategies that vary from condemnation to direct pressure, and in more institutional and structured forms, through formally established organizations, and recently — online platforms and hashtags.
Peaceful assembly and social protests signalled a core element for the existence and consolidation of democratic societies, and, is protected by a constellation of rights and freedoms, as enshrined in the Nigerian constitution.
Indeed, the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association guarantee and protect various forms—both individuals and groups. And, the government owed the people the right to be guarded and protected against any form of intimidation, or infiltration by hoodlums, which usually derailed such protests.
After many back and forth, the #EndBadGovernance Protest or nationwide hunger protest, kicked off August 1. This particular protests, and the #EndSars, unlike the Occupy Nigeria of 2012 had received mixed reactions and intransigence amongst many Nigerians, despite the agonizing hunger that pervades the country.
For a fact, in recent years, the success or otherwise of a nationwide protest is largely determined by the ethnicity and region of who was president.
If, for instance, we analyze the Occupy Nigeria protest of 2012, it succeeded to a very large extent on account of President Goodluck Jonathan’s ethnicity and natal ties to the South-South region. He, (Jonathan) was s clear minority, within the larger scope of Nigeria’s ethnic divide. So, the gang up against his administration by major ethnicities inflamed the protest to the point he succumbed and acceded to the demand of the protesters.
During President Buhari’s administration, contrary to what many erroneously believed that his kinsmen and (Northerners) shielded him from protest, in reality, the administration recorded many internal rebellions within the region. While Buhari was president, the North, especially northwest witnessed one of the most heinous bloodbath in modern history. According to International Crisis Group, between 2015-2023, about 932,933 were killed in bandits and insurgents related crisis across the region. This is in addition to numerous cases of kidnapped for ransom, as well as thousands of displacements.
The anger that greeted such level of destructions resonated across the region. Between 2018-2022, there were at least about four, or more different protests against President Buhari in the region. #EndInsecurity, #SecureNorth, #ArewaisBleeding, #Stopthebloodbath, etc. Such protests, which started as online whispers and hashtags, got traction offline as protests were organized in Katsina, Kano, Zamfara, Kaduna and Benue State. However, security operatives clamped down on protesters and smothered the protests. In all of these, the South remained aloof. Because, they considered the existential security challenges in the North as their cross, which they (Northerners) must carry.
So, when #EnDSARS protest began, for obvious reasons, the North too regarded the protests as Southern affair, which they must deal with it. Nonetheless, the #EndSARS protests recorded some level of participation of some states across northern Nigeria. But largely, protests in Nigeria, aside kinship affinities, political leanings or regional solidarity, is majorly a question of peculiarity. While the South has a massive control of the press, an elaborate legal and civil rights advocates, including other instruments of propaganda and human vuvuzelas, the North, still relishes in antiquated opinion leaders and the intelligentsia, who often do not resonate with their predicament.
So, when whispers of a looming nationwide hunger protests, with a hashtag #EndBadGovernance began, in May, it ignited a glimmer of hope amongst Nigerians. The current economic hardship exacerbated by the removal of fuel subsidy, many had hoped it would unite the masses, and have them engaged in peaceful protests, to demand amongst other things reversal of this neo-liberal and Bretton Woods institutions policy.
Again, the North/South divide, as well as kinship affinities and political leanings played out in a most bizarre and outlandish manner, in the August nationwide protests. The North, obviously exasperated by plethora of existential challenges, which has gone unabated for decades had their hopes high. The North, for a long time in a while ditched their conservatism. They threw caution to the wind and defied all odds and even dared the two most important fabric which bind them together, which is considered a moral compass– Traditional Institutions and Religious Clerics.
Religious and traditional leaders, who dare to speak out against the (protests) zanga-zanga were attacked (verbally) by youths and other low and middle income earners in the region, who toil daily with little to show as a result of biting economic reality. The massive turnout, especially on the first day of the protest, across the region, signifies a widespread discontent in the land. Men, women, children, both young and old protested peacefully, before things got awry, especially when hoodlums and arsonists hijacked the protests. The Russian flag- waving crowd was a pointer to the fact that wethe protests in the North had unfortunately been infiltrated by diverse interests.
In the South, however, the protest was practically ineffective. With the exception of Lagos and Osun, protests in the Southwest experienced low turnout. Obviously, the southwest rallied around their Son.They threatened, coerced and intimidated everyone against any form of protest against the government. Prior to, and on protest day, counter or anti protesters thronged the streets chanting anti protest songs across the southwest.
In Southeast, no state participated in the protests. Many Southeasterners regarded it a fight among major power brokers or heavyweights within the country’s political ethnic divide. Their aloofness had underscored a major trend in the country’s ethno geopolitics, which many political actors explored to their advantage.
The South-South, especially Port Harcourt, the Rivers state capital, witnessed some level of peaceful protests, without loss of lives or properties. While Benin, the Edo State capital had also peaceful protest, no other state in the region participated in the nationwide protests, despite the pervasive hunger in the land.
Clearly, the North has been vilified, for standing up for what is considered morality right. For participating in the protest, the region, more than ever, had displayed an uncommon level of unity and patriotism. The region had paid the ultimate prize. It has sacrificed hugely, through loss of lives and properties. At the last count, over 30 lives have been lost (we pray ALLAH reposes their souls), and an estimated prosperities worth billions destroyed. The region, contrary to a popular misconception has never protected any erring or inept leader, regardless his region or ethnicity.
Going forward, the experience and lessons from #Endbadgovernance protest, will shape the conduct of future protests in the country. To a very large extent, the blame should go round. The President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, although the bulk rest on his table, should not be pushed under the bus. State Governors, especially should share in the blame, considering the huge sum of monthly allocation they get, making them the greatest beneficiaries of the subsidy removal, with nothing worthy to show, in providing good governance to the people.
On a final note, if anything, the protests had sent a grim warning and fatal signals to political actors. Although, they might succeed in subduing the protests, because they saw it coming. But, if demands and concerns around the protests were left unattended, chances are, a spontaneous and unplanned uprising could spring up, catching them unaware.
Abdullahi D Mohammad is a Senior fellow at Initiative for Concerned Citizens Against Drug Abuse and Community Awareness. He writes from Kano.[email protected]