In their statement, the #EndBadGovernance leaders credited the recent release of 114 protesters, including 32 children, not to governmental generosity, but to intense public outcry and global criticism.
The Lagos State chapter of the #EndBadGovernance movement has said the only reason why President Bola Tinubu's government arrested and detained Michael Adaramoye, aka Michael Lenin, was because his nickname is Russian.
The group, therefore, urged the government to withdraw all charges against #EndBadGovernance protesters nationwide.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Hassan Taiwo Soweto, Osugba Blessing, and Oloye Adegboyega-Adeniji from the Lagos Chapter Organizing Committee stated that they are planning a peaceful rally on Friday, 8 November 2024.
This date coincides with the scheduled treason trial of 11 activists, including activist Adaramoye.
The rally, slated to begin at 7 a.m. under the Ikeja Bridge, will culminate in the submission of a petition to the Chief Judge of Lagos State, aimed at securing nationwide freedom for all detained protesters.
In their statement, the #EndBadGovernance leaders credited the recent release of 114 protesters, including 32 children, not to governmental generosity, but to intense public outcry and global criticism.
The group described the move to hold the rally as a response to the Nigerian people’s outpouring of anger and solidarity rather than a show of clemency from the administration.
It described the cases against the different batches of protesters by the government as ridiculous.
According to the group, "For instance, Adaramoye Michael was arrested only because he happens to go by the nickname ‘Lenin’ which is Russian.
“Lenin is the name of Vladimir Ilich, the leader of the Socialist revolution in Russia in October 1917. Being a Socialist and a member of the Democratic Socialist Movement (DSM), Adaramoye Michael Lenin adopted this name as his nickname in line with the tradition in the students and activists’ movement in Nigeria.
“Michael has no relationship whatsoever with the Russian dictator, Putin, whose vicious capitalist regime is an antithesis of the aims of the Russian Socialist Revolution of 1917.
"For a group of defendants who are being tried for grievous offenses ranging from treason to mutiny, and intent to destabilize and levy war against Nigeria, you would have expected that the government would have been able to provide more convincing and incriminating evidence to prove its case like weapons and other indicators.
"But the truth of the matter is that the charges against the 11 protesters just as the charges against the 114 including the children are trumped up and false charges. There is no iota of truth to these charges which the Amnesty International has rightly described as a sham trial.”
It said all the defendants did was to participate in peaceful protests across the country between 1 to 10 August 2024 to demand an end to hunger and hardship.
It said if there was any grain of truth to the allegations, the “regime would not have been able to withdraw the charges against the 114 protesters”.
It said, "This is why we are now calling on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withdraw charges against Adaramoye Michael Lenin, Mosiu Sodiq, Daniel Akande, Angel Love Innocent, Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi, Buhari Lawal, Bashir Bello, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaoluwa Eleojo Simon, Nuradeen Khamis and Abdulsalam Zubairu as well as all other peaceful protesters in detention and on trial nationwide.
"We also call for the meeting of the demands of the August protest especially regarding the reversal of fuel price hike, electricity tariff hike, hike in food prices as well as all anti-poor policies. Without meeting these demands, President Tinubu should continue to expect to see more protests and demonstrations by the Nigerian people.
"We can also reliably inform you that the Nigerian Solidarity UK and other groups abroad are also planning a series of solidarity activities including a protest at the Nigerian High Commission in London by 5:30 pm on Friday November 8 2024 to demand the release of all protesters on trial and in detention.
“Similar actions will take place at the Nigerian embassy in Berlin, Germany. So in a sense, this is going to be a day of international solidarity to mount pressure on the Tinubu regime to release peaceful protesters and also meet our demands for answers to the cost of living crisis.”