The Presidency has condemned the organizers of the EndBadGovernance Protest, stating that there is no bad government in Nigeria, but rather a thinking government.
Senior Special Assistant on Media to President Bola Tinubu, Mr. Tunde Rahman, made this statement at the Lateef Jakande Annual Memorial Lecture in Lagos on Tuesday.
Rahman acknowledged that Nigerians have the right to protest, but expressed concerns about the identity and motives of the protest organizers.
He said, “Our people have a right to protest and it is their right to do so. But we don’t know who the people behind this protest are. They are faceless, they have no hope.”
He urged citizens to be cautious and not join the protest, citing global economic challenges as a justification for Nigeria’s current situation.
Rahman stated, “Yes, challenges are there. Our economy is in turmoil. And this is not peculiar to Nigeria. Most of the world’s economies are in turmoil at the moment.”
Rahman defended the government’s efforts, saying, “The President is doing his best to address this problem. They’ve tagged the protest end to bad governance. I do not think we have bad governance at the moment. We have a thinking government. Some problems need to be addressed. And some of the solutions that have been applied will resolve the problem sooner than later.”
He appealed for understanding and restraint, asking citizens to give the government’s policies time to mature.
Rahman said, “I want to appeal to our colleagues to show understanding, to show restraint, to be prudent, and to wear the toga of eminence, statesmen and women at this time. To know that some of the policies that have been addressed have their gestational period. Let’s give these policies time to mature.”
