After six days of continuous protest marches in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, the leadership of Concerned Nigerian Citizens, EndBadGovernance, has announced a temporary suspension of their demonstrations.
Adetunji Ajala, the state coordinator of the group, addressed journalists in Osogbo on Tuesday, explaining that the decision was made in light of the upcoming Osun-Osogbo festival, which is expected to draw a significant number of visitors and tourists.
Ajala stated, “The suspension of our protest is essential to prevent potential infiltration by hoodlums who could use the gathering crowds as cover to cause chaos.”
“Since the inception of this peaceful protest, we have made our demands clear, seeking immediate action from our leaders to address the pressing issues affecting the citizens of our beloved state and country. We acknowledge the recent address by the President of Nigeria; however, we express our profound disappointment as the President’s speech failed to address any of our specific demands,” Ajala continued.
He added, “Despite this setback, today we successfully presented our demands to the Governor of Osun State through the deputy governor and Secretary to the State Government, who assured us that the governor would forward our demands to the Federal Executive Council. Furthermore, we reviewed the security situation in the context of the Osun-Osogbo festival presently ongoing in Osogbo. It is worthy of note that the protest is coinciding with this major event, which raises additional concerns.”
Ajala emphasised the need to ensure the safety of the festival’s tourists and to prevent hoodlums from masquerading as festival-goers to disrupt the protests. “Considering the safety of the tourists coming for the global Osun-Osogbo festival and the possibility of hoodlums disguising themselves as tourists to unleash attacks on peaceful protesters amidst other security concerns, we consider it imperative to put the protest on hold today, 6th August 2024,” he said.
