Organisers of the 2024 #EndBadGovernance protest, the Take-It-Back movement, have announced plans to stage a demonstration against the ongoing “state of emergency” rule in Rivers State and the alleged misuse of the Cybercrime Act by the Nigerian police to target “activists, journalists, and social media influencers.”
The protest is scheduled for April 7, 2025. It has also been described as a “Nationwide Protest Against Bad Governance and Free Speech Suppression.”
Supporters are urged to gather at the National Assembly in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
In an interview with PUNCH on Monday, Juwon Sanyaolu, the National Coordinator of TIB, clarified that their core demand is the “repeal of the Cybercrime Act.”
“The issue revolves around how the Cybercrime Act is being weaponised to suppress free speech. Journalists and activists, as you know, are often the primary targets of both the act and the broader crackdown on free speech. This also affects social media users, including individuals like SeaKing and others,” Sanyaolu said.
The protest organisers are also calling for an end to the emergency rule in Rivers State, which they describe as “military rule imposed by the government of (President Bola) Tinubu.”
They are demanding a reversal of this action and the full reinstatement of all suspended government bodies, including the State House of Assembly and the Executive.
“Most importantly, we are demanding an end to bad governance. The policies implemented by Tinubu have caused considerable hardship,” Sanyaolu remarked during a phone interview.
He also emphasised that the protest is not limited to Abuja. “This is a nationwide protest. Flyers detailing additional protest locations will be shared soon,” he concluded.
Some of the journalists that have suffered harassment in the last one year from state actors include; former editor of First News, Segun Olatunji; Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism; Dayo Aiyetan, Executive Director of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting; and Nurudeen Akewushola, an investigative journalist with the platform.
The suspension of the governor and elected representatives in Rivers State has been met with condemnations and call for caution by different stakeholders.
Nigerians have also lamented hardship in living in the country with rising cost ofiving and a sprawling inflation.
This is not helped by protests against insecurity with notable protests in Enugu and Ondo States.
@SaharaReporters
