Oby Ezekwesili, the former Nigerian Minister of Education, has strongly condemned the Nigerian government’s attempts to spread fear and discourage citizens from participating in the planned #EndBadGovernance protest scheduled for August 1st. She has voiced her support for the protest organizers and the citizens’ right to peacefully express their grievances over the current state of governance and economic hardship in the country.
In a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Ezekwesili criticized the government’s “unrelenting media propaganda” and accused them of escalating fear instead of seeing the protest as an opportunity to engage with citizens. She emphasized that the protest is a valid exercise of the people’s right to peacefully demand good governance from their leaders.
Ezekwesili praised the resilience of Nigerian citizens in the face of severe economic hardship and expressed hope that the country will experience better days as a result of the people’s newfound power to hold their public leaders accountable. She also stated that the government’s propaganda efforts have inadvertently provided evidence that “the power of the people is indeed greater than the people in power.
“The former minister’s strong stance in support of the protest organizers and the citizens’ right to peaceful assembly underscores the growing discontent among Nigerians over the government’s handling of the country’s economic and governance challenges. Her message serves as a rallying call for citizens to exercise their democratic rights and hold their leaders accountable for their actions and policies.