Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has joined the protest currently taking place in Lagos.
Sowore, one of the main organizers, arrived at the protest site under the Ikeja Underbridge at approximately 8:50 a.m. on Tuesday. The protest, which coincides with Nigeria’s 64th Independence Day celebrations, has drawn a significant number of demonstrators to the Ikeja Underbridge, where they are vocalizing their grievances. The event, held under the banner #FearlessOctober1, has taken place amidst heightened security measures, with law enforcement agencies ensuring safety at the venue.
The protest is being heavily monitored by a considerable security presence, which includes police officers, personnel from the Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, and officials from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
Several civil society groups are also playing a key role in the protest, with the Take It Back Movement, the Education Rights Campaign, the Coalition for Revolution, and the Socialist Workers League at the forefront of the event. These organizations have been vocal in their demands, representing a broad spectrum of social and economic issues that Nigerians are currently grappling with.
Reports indicate that this protest is the second mass demonstration in the last two months, as citizens continue to express their dissatisfaction with the current state of the nation’s economy, which has been marked by inflation, high levels of hunger, and a decline in general living conditions. The organizers have pointed out that the #FearlessOctober1 protest is a continuation of the #EndBadGovernance demonstrations that were staged earlier, between August 1 and 10.
The protest is said to be a response to the government's perceived inaction regarding critical issues such as food insecurity, inflation, deteriorating security, inefficiency in governance, the need for electoral reforms, and calls for enhanced human capital development. The demonstrators are calling for immediate and tangible solutions to these pressing concerns.
