Renowned Professor of History and African Studies, Toyin Falola, has warned President Bola Tinubu to beware Bangladesh-style unannounced protests, stating that his administration has failed to address the major triggers for the #EndBadGovernance protests that spread across several states in Nigeria earlier in August.
Falola, a professor at the University of Texas, made this assertion during an appearance on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political program aired on Channels Television on Friday. He noted that while the protesters were considerate in announcing their protests weeks ahead, giving the government time to devise strategies to minimize the impact, the Tinubu administration should be more concerned about spontaneous and uncontrollable protests, similar to those currently taking place in Bangladesh.
In Bangladesh, young demonstrators have been protesting against the policies of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Between August 1 and 10, young demonstrators in most Nigerian cities held rallies to protest the high cost of living and soaring food prices. The protesters also demanded that Tinubu reverse the subsidy removal on petrol to bring down the prices of basic commodities.
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On August 4, 2024, Tinubu addressed the nation and ruled out the return of petrol subsidies, a major demand of the #EndBadGovernance campaigners. However, during the program, Falola criticized the presidential statement, noting that the President failed to address the key issues of hunger, skyrocketing energy costs, high cost of living, and insecurity raised by the young demonstrators.
“When the President issues his own, no issue around fuel subsidy, no issue around infrastructure, no talk about electricity, no talk about security – all the elements that drove the protests,” Falola remarked. He also emphasized that the government’s primary concern seemed to be the potential for destabilization, rather than addressing the root causes of the protests.
Falola further explained that while some elements may have taken advantage of the protests by waving Russian flags and calling for a coup, the original intention of the protesters was not to destabilize the government but to express their grievances about the dire economic conditions.
“There is no way Tinubu won’t know about the rising cost of living in Nigeria, fuelled by persistent inflationary pressure in the country,” Falola stated. He criticized the administration for making excuses instead of addressing the issues, noting that the fundamental causes of the protests remain unaddressed.
Falola warned that the Tinubu administration should be particularly wary of undated, unannounced, or unplanned protests, which are more dangerous because they cannot be controlled. He pointed out that while the government was able to prepare for the recent protests by deploying security forces, it would not be able to manage spontaneous protests effectively.
“The protest to fear is like that of Bangladesh,” Falola concluded, highlighting the unpredictability and potential impact of such demonstrations.
