*Pix above(l-r): Atiku and PBAT
Shehu Atiku Abubakar, son of Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has joined the protest against hunger and high cost of living tagged #EndBadGovernance in the country.
He joined the mammoth crowd at Gani Fawehinmi Park in Ojota, Lagos State on Thursday, August 1, 2024.
Nigerians have poured into the streets in major cities across the nation to protest against economic hardship despite the government’s last-minute push to prevent the demonstration.
Inflation has reached 34 per cent owing mainly to the twin policies of fuel subsidy removal and floating of the naira which have pushed the cost of basic items beyond the reach of millions of Nigerians.
Talks about the demonstration tagged #EndBadGovernance protest had gained momentum on social media, leading discussions among young Nigerians on digital platforms.
Authorities across the country had in the wake of calls for the protest, rallied around to halt it. They warned that they might be hijacked by hoodlums. While they admitted to the challenges facing the nation, they urged the organisers to shelve the protest and give the government more time to address the issues raised.
But undeterred, the Take It Back Movement, one of the organisers of the protest said it was not going back on the rallies. Some of the demands of the protesters include: the restoration of petrol subsidies and the forex regime. They also want the government to address food shortages, unemployment, and wasteful spending by those in power.
Others include: immediate reforms of the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) with renewed vigour in the fight against corrupt politicians.(agency)/###
