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Protests and the failure of democracy 01 Aug 2024

Nigeria has been in the throes of anxiety over a proposed national protest against bad governance. The federal government has unleashed every arsenal, including arrests and seduction, to stop the protest. The organisers of the protest tag it ‘Days of Rage’, invoking memories of the Kenyan protest that ended in violence and threatening to end President William Ruto’s presidency.

Nigeria has been on this path before. In 2020, the country was convulsed by the EndSARS protests, which ended in alleged massacre of protesters at the Lekki Tollgate, Lagos. EndSARS put Nigeria in global eye as CNN and other international media reported the gross failure of the Nigerian state to protect the life of its citizens. The protests arose because of the brutality of Nigerian police against young Nigerians, mostly IT professionals. The proposed ‘Day of Rage’ is a response to the hardship caused by bad governance. This sounds like déjà vu.

President Bola Tinubu didn’t kid about the threat of the protest. He summoned traditional rulers to Abuja with a clear message to speak against the protest and use their goodwill to dissuade Nigerian youths from protesting. The governors of the states have met severally to reinforce the message that the government is addressing the major issues raised by the promoters of the protest. While it is difficult to pin down the specific requests of the promoters of the protest, the main focus is ending bad governance. They want the President to revise the removal of subsidy, sack corrupt and incompetent ministers, cut down on the cost of governance especially as it affects the presidency and the National Assembly, and release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in detention for years on an illegal rendition by the previous Buhari government.

The government released N16 billion to the Nigerian police to deal with the protest. The Minister of Federal Capital Territory warned that protest will not be allowed and threatened to deal ruthlessly with anyone who protests in the federal capital. Likewise, state governments were strategising with police chiefs to thwart the protest. The secret police started to arrest those printing T-shirts and other materials for the protest. Nevertheless, the demand of the protest only intensified, even as fear of a repeat of the EndSARS protest deepened.

We should reflect on what this moment means for democracy and development in Nigeria. Many political leaders rightly warn against the consequences of the protest. Although protests are usually advertised as peaceful, they often end in violence, partly because of poor organisation and police brutality. With the proposed national protest not having a clear leadership, many individuals and group are planning separately for it. The fear is that this makes it easy for political opponents of the government and sundry criminals and disorderly persons to highjack the protest and turn it into a destructive and looting spree. This much happened during the EndSARS and the Kenyan protests.

But the question is why is violent protest becoming fashionable in Africa today. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo recently noted that African youths are helpless and angry, they are bent on violent protest because they do not have hope of a better future. Why is it so? One reason is the growing recalcitrance of the ruling elite. The political economy of leadership in many of these countries have worsened to the point that change of government through elections is very far-fetched. The states are mostly captured by a thieving elite that has no agenda but self-enrichment.

In the case of Nigeria, the Tinubu administration has surpassed its worst critics in the level of its disconnection from socioeconomic realities of Nigerians in the street. In spite of inheriting a mismanaged economy, Tinubu and his inner circle have made it worse, and are oblivious of the hunger that ravages the land. The policies he adopted since coming to power have been anything but sensitive and wise. The  unscrupulous removal of petrol subsidy and the gross devaluation of the naira have pushed tens of millions of Nigeria’s dwindling middle class into extreme poverty. Still, the government continues to stuff billions into frivolous expenditures that cater to the wellbeing of its top brass. A look at the national budget shows that Nigerian democracy is for those in power. What about N21 billion to renovate the Vice President’s residence at the time the government was unwilling to increase the national minimum wage to N60,000 (less than $30)? How do you claim a commitment to good governance in the face of the fiscal challenges while you spend billions to buy assorted vehicles for presidential officers and plan to purchase a new luxury planes for yourself?

The real crisis we face in Nigeria, which speaks to the collapse of democracy, is total loss of independence of legislature under President Tinubu. The Senate President has made it clear that whatever Tinubu asks, he gets. And he has matched his words with deeds. Tinubu is cashing that open cheque, often for his own benefits.

The proposed protest serves as a sign that the people do not have effective remedies for wrong within the political arrangement. They cannot petition any branch of government for their suffering and the profligacy of the ruling class. The president has annexed the legislature, and the judiciary is as corrupt as it is elitist. So, street protest is the only avenue for democratic intercession. We can safely say that where democratic institutions are not responsive to the people, the only avenue for democratic citizenship is street protests with all the risks.
 
If democracy works as designed, the people will be petitioning the National Assembly, not protesting on the street. Sadly, the legislative arm of government is not working.  

Sam Amadi, PhD, a former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission, is the Director of Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts.