For whatever it was worth, the nationwide protest against economic hardship and insecurity on June 12, 2025, Democracy Day has come and gone, amid support and opposition for it. While its success or otherwise remains a subject for posterity, the issue raised yet again the propriety question of protest in a democracy, particularly in Nigeria with her recent history of violent protests such as that of the 2020 #EndSARS nationwide.
Ultimately, protest is synonymous with the right to freedom of expression against the government’s actions or policies, which do not find favour with the people or some of them. The important lesson of 2020 is that protests must be non-violent; otherwise, they become a problem even to the protesters. Otherwise, the government has a duty to allow citizens to express their misgivings about certain government actions.
Ahead of last week’s Democracy Day celebration, a group known as #TakeItBack Movement announced that it was mobilising Nigerians for a nationwide protest against economic hardship, insecurity, and ‘shrinking political space’ under the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration. The national coordinator of the movement, Juwon Sanyaolu, said the protest was scheduled for June 12 to coincide with Democracy Day as a symbolic call for accountability and respect for democratic principles.
“Our demand remains constant. June 12 represents an opportunity for Nigerians to peacefully demand good governance and accountability. The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly states that the welfare and security of the people are the primary duties of the government – duties which this administration has failed to fulfil,” he said.
Opposing the planned protest, a group known as Nigerian Youth Organisation (NYO), led by its chairman, Duke Alamboye, and the Convener of the South-East Group, Raxi Nwaneri, praised Tinubu for his performance in office. Though they acknowledged the economic hardship in the country, they advised that the protesters should be patient, stressing that the government’s economic policies would yield fruit that would end the nation’s challenges. They also expressed fear that the protest could be hijacked and made violent.
It bears emphasising, however, that protest is fundamental in democracy, not only in Nigeria but also everywhere the system of government is practised. It is a right that flows from the freedom of expression that is guaranteed in the constitution. As the Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka would put it, hunger marches are a summons to governance that a breaking point has been reached and thus a testing ground for governance awareness of public desperation.
Also, there is indeed a basis for the protest, given the realities of what the average Nigerian faces daily in a difficult economy and a dimming hope of redemption. Protest will surface as a reaction to many unpleasant or unacceptable circumstances. President Tinubu, as a politician, knows this, and he exhibited the knowledge when, in his broadcast on a similar protest last year, he alluded to the fact that the mass action was caused by the pain and frustration that Nigerians suffered.
“My dear Nigerians, especially our youths, I have heard you loud and clear. I understand the pain and frustration that drive these protests. I want to assure you that our government is committed to listening and addressing the concerns of our citizens,” Tinubu said in 2024. It does appear that the protesters are yet to see the impact of the government as promised.
Indeed, protest is simply to make the government do the right thing. Where protest is peaceful and protesters are not unruly, they should be allowed to express themselves. It is a salient characteristic of democracy, which is synonymous with freedom.
Nevertheless, protests place some crucial responsibilities on the planners. The right to exercise freedom of expression is not a licence to violate the rights of other people, destroy public or private property, put public peace and order in jeopardy or commit any other criminal act. The constitution saddles the government with the responsibility of ensuring the security and welfare of the people. This task is crucial, especially during protests when life and property, public and private, are more vulnerable to destruction.
Some protests in the past, including the #EndSARS, were characterised by criminal activities such as the killing of innocent people, destruction of public and private property, and looting of shops, which made them condemnable. This is one of the reasons protest planners need to carry the police along, and the security operatives must always be ready to protect all and be visibly neutral in doing so. Together with the security operatives, protesters must ensure that their action is not hijacked and made violent. They must be focused on the purpose of their action, which must be carried out in a way that does not suggest any hidden agenda, as alleged during the #EndSARS.
In a situation where protests degenerate into confusion and breakdown of law and order, security operatives should not be expected to fold their arms. The laws against criminal activities do not exempt protesters. The mentality of associating protest with violence is unfortunate. Perpetrating violence in the course of exercising freedom of expression by way of protest is unreasonable and criminal and should not be expected to be taken lightly by any government. Violence demeans the very essence of the protest.
Nigerians have a right to protest. Fortunately, the 2025 Democracy Day action was largely peaceful in places where it was held. The protesters have spoken, the government is expected to hear and address the grievances with sincere moves to mitigate the hardship in the land. It is not about giving palliatives of food items to Nigerians. It is about applying practical, workable, and sustainable solutions to the seemingly intractable woes of the country that underlie the hardship being suffered by Nigerians.
