A Senator Representing Edo North Senatorial District, Senator Adams Oshiomhole has alleged that he discovered that there was a hidden agenda behind the End Bad Government protest when two defeated presidential candidates supported the protest.
He acknowledged the genuine issues of hunger and high unemployment but he argued that the protest leaders are politically opportunistic. He recounted leading past protests, enduring police aggression, and facing severe threats, including the killing of protestants. He however emphasized that his stance back then was rooted in a deeper understanding of the situation and the potential consequences.
He said in an interview with Channels TV from 3:13, ”I knew there was an agenda when 2 defeated Presidential Candidate backed the protest. Whereas there is genuine hunger and there is genuine unacceptable level of unemployment. Although there is obviously genuine frustrations in the land, the real people behind this protest are not motivated by hunger.
They are just being politically opportunistic. Because they know that in 12 months, there is no magical relief that you can do to an economy that has already collapsed. When you conceptualize a policy, before the benefit will manifest is not going to be a matter of 12 months.”
Speaking on how he led protests in the past and why he’s not supporting the current protest, he said, ”One of the benefits of a peaceful protest including a strike action is that it brings a sense of relief. I left those protest in the past from the front. I remember that at the Federal Secretariat, a Commissioner of Police tear-gassed me.
They came even into NLC office and threatened to shoot at me. And in one of the protest, police was used to kill many of our members. The right to protest is non-negotiable. The issue is not whether you have the right to protest. But you must also understand that you must not complicate the condition of the poor.”….Sêe_Morē