June 12 Uprising: Nationwide Demonstrations Planned as #EndBadGovernance Movement Slams Tinubu's Economic Policies [VIDEO]

 

Tensions are mounting across Nigeria ahead of June 12, as the #EndBadGovernance movement announced plans to stage coordinated protests across all 36 states. The civic movement is mobilizing citizens to express widespread dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s economic agenda, which it says has inflicted devastating consequences on the livelihoods of ordinary Nigerians.

Hassan Soweto, a prominent figure within the movement, addressed journalists during a press conference held Thursday in Lagos. He condemned the government's economic reforms, including the controversial removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of the naira exchange rate. These policies, according to Soweto, have not only failed to stabilize the economy but have instead intensified poverty and social inequality.

“Our people are suffocating under the weight of these policies,” Soweto declared. “The removal of the oil subsidy and the naira devaluation have asphyxiated the national economy. This has led to widespread hardship, and without equivocation, we have to say that the past two years of President Tinubu’s government have been nothing short of a disaster for the masses of the Nigerian people.”

The upcoming demonstrations are scheduled for June 12, a date steeped in democratic symbolism for Nigeria. The movement's organizers say the protests will serve as a nationwide call for accountability and reform. Far from being a one-day expression of dissent, the June 12 rallies are being framed as part of a broader campaign to reassert the rights and dignity of Nigerians amid what they perceive to be a climate of growing oppression.

For Soweto and other movement leaders, the economic strain is only part of a broader crisis. He spoke passionately about what he views as a systematic erosion of democratic values under the current administration. Constitutional freedoms that were hard-won in the post-military era, he argued, are now under direct threat.

“There is a creeping dictatorship tightening its grip on the civic space,” he warned. “Nigerians are living more or less like enslaved citizens. All the constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms that once inspired struggles against military rule and for democracy have now been completely taken away by the Tinubu administration. The civic space has shrunk to the point where Nigerians can no longer breathe.”

Echoing concerns from civil society groups and rights organizations, the #EndBadGovernance movement says it is prepared to confront what it sees as anti-poor governance through peaceful yet determined action. Protesters are being urged to come out en masse on June 12, with placards, chants, and a unified voice calling for justice, economic recovery, and the restoration of civil liberties.

Organizers have also appealed to law enforcement agencies to respect the rights of demonstrators. Soweto called on Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Moshood Jimoh, to uphold the rule of law and facilitate the peaceful conduct of the protests.

“We are not staging riots, we are staging resistance,” Soweto said firmly. “We want the police to stand with the people, not against them.”

With inflation on the rise, a depreciating currency, and soaring living costs, frustration has reached a boiling point among Nigerians. Fuel scarcity and exorbitant transportation costs continue to plague daily life. Businesses are closing, and millions struggle to afford basic necessities. Against this backdrop, the June 12 protests are expected to draw large crowds, particularly among youth groups, trade unions, and grassroots activists.

Whether the protests will result in policy shifts or further clampdowns remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the #EndBadGovernance movement has tapped into a deep and growing reservoir of public frustration—and on June 12, that frustration will be on full display.