To celebrate the 26th anniversary of Nigeria’s return to democracy, workers, students, politicians, and others took to the streets across the country, expressing their displeasure over the policies and programs adopted by President Bola Tinubu’s administration, demanding an immediate solution to insecurity, economic crisis, and others confronting the nation.
They claimed that rather than the Tinubu-led government fulfill promises made while seeking their votes during the 2023 presidential election, the administration worsened their challenges with policies that had limited their purchasing power.
The demonstrators took to the streets simultaneously on Thursday, defied the scorching sun, with clear demands that the Federal Government review its policies to ameliorate the challenges facing the country.
June 12 is observed nationwide as Democracy Day in honor of the annulled 1993 presidential election, believed to have been won by the late Chief MKO Abiola. Activists across the country used the occasion to call for reforms, justice, and improved governance.
In Ekiti, demonstrators, who chanted different solidarity songs with their placards bearing different inscriptions such as “End Poverty Now,” “We Need Food, Not Excuses,” and “Democracy Without Justice is a Scam,” demanded urgent reforms that could put an end to economic hardship in the country.
The protest, which began as early as 8:00 a.m., saw a large number of youths, civil society groups, and political activists converge at the Fajuyi Park in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, to express their grievances against the Tinubu-led administration.
Despite the early morning showers, the demonstrators moved peacefully through major streets under the watchful eyes of security personnel.
The coordinator, Samuel Adedayo, told journalists that the demonstration was aimed at drawing the president’s attention to the worsening living conditions of Nigerians.
“This is not about politics; it is about survival. People are hungry, young people are jobless, and inflation is killing everyone. Democracy should bring dividends, not suffering,” he added.
Another protester, Yetunde Aluko, a student of Ekiti State University, lamented the poor state of education and insecurity in the country.
“We are here because we are tired. What future do we have when schools are underfunded, lecturers are owed salaries, and there is no hope for graduates?” she asked.
Earlier in his Democracy Day message, the State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, urged citizens to remain calm and committed to the principles of democracy.
Oyebanji acknowledged the challenges facing the nation and promised continued efforts to improve the welfare of the people.
In Akure, the Ondo State capital, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, led demonstrators to the Police Command Headquarters in Alagbaka, drawing the attention of security operatives and passersby alike.
Sowore, who addressed journalists during the protest, said the march was organized to draw attention to what he described as the increasing hardship, insecurity, corruption, and suppression of rights under the current democratic dispensation.
He criticized the federal and state governments for what he termed a betrayal of the hopes that June 12 symbolizes.
“Today should be a day of deep reflection for Nigerians. What we have is not a true democracy. It’s a government that continues to oppress the people economically, politically, and socially,” Sowore declared.
The protest was peaceful, though closely monitored by a team of police officers who ensured there was no breakdown of law and order. No arrests or confrontations were reported.
Sowore, an indigene of Ondo State and a well-known human rights activist, has been at the forefront of protests and advocacy for democratic reforms in Nigeria.
During the demonstration in the country’s capital, Abuja, the protesters, not minding that the president would be addressing them through their lawmakers, marched across the streets to express growing frustration over the worsening economic hardship and rising insecurity in the country.
Despite a heavy deployment of armed security personnel across the city, including at major junctions and around the National Assembly complex, demonstrators gathered in the Apo area of Abuja to mark Nigeria’s Democracy Day with a show of public dissent.
Chanting solidarity songs and waving placards, the protesters voiced their discontent with the current state of affairs, decrying high living costs, unemployment, and escalating violence in various parts of the country.
Organisers of the protest say the demonstration is a peaceful call on the government to urgently address the deteriorating living conditions and growing insecurity that have left many Nigerians disillusioned.
For Osun residents, the state capital, Osogbo was the centre of drama with the demonstrators occupying a location close to the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Correspondents’ Chapel, pressing for improved governance, human rights protections, and reversal of fuel subsidy removals.
Speaking during the protest, Musa Abdussalam, declared that the demonstrators had no apologies to make for demanding better governance. “We don’t owe anybody an apology,” he said firmly.
“We want the government to resolve the insecurity in the country. Since the return to civilian rule, we haven’t had a truly effective government.”
Abdussalam faulted the student loan initiative, calling instead for bursaries that would directly support students in higher institutions.
“Kílón jẹ́ student loan òlẹ?” he exclaimed in Yoruba, meaning “What is the value of a student loan to someone who is unemployed?”
He also voiced deep concern over the state of Osun’s healthcare system, noting that a growing number of medical professionals were relocating abroad in search of better opportunities.
The coordinator urged the government to urgently fill the vacancies left behind and to provide essential equipment and resources needed to keep the sector functioning effectively.
The South-West General Secretary of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Oluwole Olutunde, also addressed the crowd, emphasizing the symbolic significance of the day. “Youths and elders are out here not just to protest, but to remember the legacy of MKO Abiola. We are on the streets to celebrate the hero of Nigeria’s democracy.”
Olutunde called on the government to go beyond mere rhetoric and honor its obligations to the people.
“We are agitating for the government to pay what is due and to fulfill the promises they made,” he said. “They must understand that without the masses, they are nobody.”
