Near collision as pro-govt sponsored protesters attempt to undermine #EndBadGovernance June 12 rally
By Ishaya Ibrahim
Pro-government protesters on Thursday made several attempts to disrupt a peaceful protest called by the #EndBadGovernance Movement to mark the June 12 Democracy Day anniversary.
June 12 is set aside by the Nigerian government to remember the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election. For the #EndBadGovernance Movement, there is nothing to celebrate about, hence the protest.
The pro-government supporters were mobilised by a chieftain of the Lagos All Progressives Congress (APC) whose name could not be immediately ascertained as at the time of filing this report.
The APC official, accompanied by armed policemen and thugs, initially mobilized hundreds of women to stage a counter rally at same venue and very close to the position where the #EndBadGovernance protesters had converged.
Earlier, multiple vehicles, including those owned by the police and others that were unmarked, were parked at the spot usually used by the #EndBadGovernance protesters every time they converge at the Ikeja Under Bridge.
The Lagos State Police Commissioner, Moshood Jimoh also added to the frustration of the #EndBadGovernance protesters by holding a press briefing right in their midst. This caused distractions, until one of the coordinators of the protest, Comrade Hassan Taiwo Soweto called out the police commissioner for distracting their event.
The rally at the Ikeja Under Bridge was clash of sounds between the pro-government protesters, who were dancing to party jamz, and those of the #EndBadGovernance protesters, who were chanting revolutionary songs from Fela, Idris Abdulkareem and African Chyna.
The #EndBadGovernance protesters later left the pro-government supporters behind and begun a procession to Ojota.
Not long after the procession, the APC chieftain led a truck carrying massive musical equipment which trolled the #EndBadGovernance protesters with sounds at higher decibels, deafening the ability of the #EndBadGovernance protesters to communicate effectively with other Nigerians. While the obstruction was ongoing, the police did little to stop the provocation.
At the Ojota motor park where the #EndBadGovernance protesters made the final stop, the pro-government supporters continued their disruption.
During a speech at the venue, Soweto warned the police against inviting him to answer questions about his group violating an earlier court ruling which restricted protest to a specific location without also inviting the APC chairman in Lagos whom he accused of violating same order.
The June 12 protest was called by the #EndBadGovernance Movement to express disapproval over government policies which they said have brought suffering and hunger, held at the Ikeja Under Bridge.
The protesters, in their hundreds, held several placards to show their displeasure with the government.
Some of the placards read: “Nigerian workers work hard but cannot feed. Enough is Enough.” “We pay through our nose, Eko Disco smile to the bank.” “No one deserves a death sentence for protesting against hunger.”
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Jimoh Moshood came to the protest ground to observe events. Asked by journalists if his men would be professional in managing the protest, he said there would be no case of overzealous actions.
