Nigerians have criticized Omoyele Sowore, the African Action Congress candidate for the 2023 presidential election, for insisting that hunger protests continue on Monday.
This follows an appeal from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who on Sunday urged Nigerians to pause the protests and engage in dialogue with the government to address the nation's challenges.
Jibril Gawat, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor of Lagos State, announced on his social media that protest leaders in Ojota had agreed to suspend the demonstration after Tinubu's speech.
In response, Sowore insisted that the protests proceed on Monday, sharing details of the demonstration locations.
Many Nigerians reacted negatively to Sowore's stance:
- @Bellotec warned that participating in the protests could lead to unnecessary deaths, referencing those killed in Kano.
- @bolajiayo questioned why Sowore does not lead the protests with his own children instead of encouraging others to risk their lives.
- @computizzy1 stated that people are ready to return to work and challenged Sowore to join the protests himself.
Tinubu's broadcast came after reports of at least 15 deaths and significant property damage in Kano, Kaduna, Niger, Yobe, and other parts of the country during the first three days of the protests, known as #EndBadGovernance.
