The protest scheduled for October 1, Nigeria's Independence Day, has been declared “National Survival Day” to protest against what they described as bad policies and programs of the administration led by President Bola Tinubu.
They said policies and programmes, allegedly influenced by the Bretton Woods institutions, such as currency devaluation and removal of fuel subsidy, among others, have impoverished more Nigerians, as evidenced by “harsh economic conditions”.
The organizers, under different auspices, in a joint statement on Sunday called on all Nigerians to come out en masse and protest peacefully across the country.
The groups include the Youth Rights Campaign (YRC), the Movement for Fundamental Change (MFC), the Joint Action Front (JAF), the Alliance to Survive COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB) and the Yoruba Revolutionary Movement (YOREM).
Others are Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens (CCNC), Initiative for a Better and Brighter Nigeria (IBBN), Movement for African Emancipation (MAE), Pan African Rebirth of Consciousness (PACOR-Nigeria), Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR). ).
Lawsuits
Protesters are also demanding the release of detained protesters, journalists and activists, as well as an end to anti-poor policies.
According to protesters, the policies of the Tinubu-led administration, including fuel price increases, electricity tariff increases and the devaluation of the naira, have imposed unprecedented hardship on millions of Nigerians, pushing many into a “ multidimensional poverty and monumental misery.”
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“The middle class has been destroyed and the suicide rate is increasing,” the statement read. “Despite this, President Tinubu continues to push these criminal and anti-human policies.”
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The group also condemned the erosion of civil liberties, including freedom of speech and assembly, under the current administration.
“We urge Nigerians to come together on October 1 to reflect on our journey as a nation and decide how to rescue our country from mass poverty in the midst of plenty,” the statement concludes.
The protest planned for October 1 has also been massively tagged #FearlessInOctober.
Protest to end bad governance
The #TheEndBadGovernance protest that lasted 10 days in August across Nigeria was a call for the federal government to reduce the size and cost of governance, reducing prices of food, oil, housing and electricity; lower interest rates and control insecurity.
However, thugs took over protests in many northern cities.
Organizers said Nigeria's 64th birthday is not worth celebrating, insisting that since President Tinubu took office as President, he has allegedly imposed unprecedented hardship on millions of Nigerians and “pushed many into poverty and hardship.” difficulties”.