Organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protest in Osun State, the Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens, have suspended their demonstrations.
A press statement on Tuesday, by Adetunji Ajala, state coordinator of the group, noted the disappointment of the coalition with President Bola Tinubu over his recent address, stating it failed to address their specific demands.
“Since the inception of this peaceful protest, we have made our demands clear, seeking immediate action from our leaders to address the pressing issues affecting the citizens of our beloved state and country.
“We acknowledge the recent address by the President of Nigeria; however, we express our profound disappointment as the President’s speech failed to address any of our specific demands,” the statement partly reads.
Citing safety concerns for tourists coming for the global Osun Osogbo festival and protesters, Ajala noted that the coalition considers it imperative to prioritize the safety of all individuals involved, a reason for putting the protest on hold.
According to the statement, “It is worthy of note to establish that protest is incidentally taking place in Osogbo, which is of concern.
READ: Organizers Suspend Protest In Osun
“Considering the safety of the influx of tourists coming for the global Osun osogbo festival and the possibility of hoodlums disguising as tourist and unleashing attacks on peaceful protesters amidst other security concerns, we consider it imperative to put the protest on hold today August 6, 2024.
“While we salute the courage of peaceful protesters, we urge concerned citizens to remain resolute on our demands and continue to ventilate the same while planning for the next stage of the struggle in case the demands are not met.
Osun Defender reports that the nationwide protest, which commenced on Thursday, August 1, 2024, was
scheduled to hold for ten days.
The suspension of the protest comes after six days of peaceful demonstrations.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
