Lagos, Nigeria – Human rights activist and #RevolutionNow Movement leader, Omoyele Sowore, has outlined a series of non-negotiable demands ahead of the upcoming #FearlessInOctober mass protests aimed at addressing key issues facing Nigerians. In a statement released during an interview with Daily Trust, Sowore emphasized that these demands must be immediately met by the Bola Tinubu administration.
According to Sowore, the demands, which center on the economy, security, and reforms, represent the critical needs of Nigerians, many of whom are grappling with worsening conditions in the country. He stressed the urgent nature of the issues, calling on the government to act swiftly to alleviate the suffering of the people.
Among the key demands are:
- The immediate release of all political prisoners, including those detained during previous protests and separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu.
- The implementation of a living wage for Nigerian workers.
- Reversing the removal of fuel subsidy protections for the masses.
- Addressing the nation’s escalating security issues, including banditry and terrorism.
- Establishing job creation programmes for the millions of unemployed youth.
- Investing in the power sector and infrastructure to revitalize the economy.
- Reforms in education, restructuring, constitutional, judicial, and electoral sectors, including allowing diaspora voting.
Sowore criticized the current administration for the rising inflation, escalating insecurity, and worsening economic conditions, noting that the removal of fuel subsidy protections has led to skyrocketing petrol prices and deepened hardship for Nigerians.
“The last protests were peaceful, yet the government met the protesters with batons and bullets,” Sowore lamented, but he maintained that the upcoming protests will remain peaceful. “Our only weapon is truth, and no amount of force or violence will prevent us from speaking truth to power.”
He pointed to the recent hike in petrol prices, the further devaluation of the naira, and the devastation caused by floods, questioning how much more suffering Nigerians can endure under current government policies. He stressed that Nigerians can no longer afford to “wait” for government action.
Sowore also accused the government of prioritizing luxury purchases, such as bulletproof cars and yachts, while neglecting critical issues like workers’ wages, insecurity, and education.
The #FearlessInOctober protests, scheduled for October 1st, are expected to be national, with Sowore predicting “thousands of voices” will be raised in protest across the country. He reiterated the protesters’ determination to peacefully voice their displeasure with the government’s failure to address the pressing issues.
“The pangs of hunger and groans of pain of the Nigerian people will not be drowned out by the government,” he concluded.