The #Endbadgovernance Movement has announced plans to stage nationwide protests on June 12 to express dissatisfaction with the current administration's economic policies that have allegedly intensified hardship across Nigeria.

Comrade Hassan Soweto, one of the movement's leaders, made this announcement during a press conference held in Lagos on Thursday. The protest aims to challenge President Bola Tinubu's economic reforms, which the group claims have severely impacted citizens' livelihoods.

"Without equivocation, we have to say that the past two years of President Tinubu's government has been nothing short of a disaster for the mass of Nigerian people. The anti-poor and neo-liberal reforms of the regime have led to destruction of livelihoods and the economy on a scale previously unimagined," Soweto stated.

The movement specifically highlighted the removal of fuel subsidy and naira devaluation as key policies that have "asphyxiated" the national economy. According to Soweto, these measures have pushed many Nigerians deeper into economic hardship.

Democracy Under Threat

Beyond economic concerns, the group expressed alarm over what they described as the erosion of democratic freedoms under the current administration.

"We have to say that Nigerians are living more or less like enslaved citizens. All the constitutionally-guaranteed rights and freedoms that in the past inspired struggles against military rule and for democracy have now been completely taken away by the Tinubu administration. The civic space has shrunk to the point that Nigerians can no longer breathe," Soweto remarked.

The movement has called on Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun and Lagos State Commissioner of Police Olohundare Moshood Jimoh to cooperate with protesters during the planned demonstrations.

The choice of June 12 for the protest is significant as it coincides with Democracy Day in Nigeria, which commemorates the annulled 1993 presidential election widely believed to have been won by Chief MKO Abiola.

This announcement comes amid conflicting assessments of Nigeria's economic situation, with the World Bank recently reporting that the Nigerian economy grew by 3.4%, describing it as being "in good shape" despite widespread complaints of hardship from citizens.