Rift Among Protest Leaders: Allegations of Bribery, Sabotage Emerge

The #EndBadGovernance protest, which began across Nigeria on August 1, appears to be losing momentum following a split among its key organizers. The divide has intensified as accusations surface that some leaders were bribed to undermine the demonstrations.

The discord became apparent on Friday when lawyer Ebun Adegboruwa SAN called for a halt to the protests, citing the violence and looting that marred the first day. In a statement, Adegboruwa urged the suspension of the protests to allow for dialogue with the government. “Given that the protests were said to have been hijacked by sponsored agents, it is necessary to avoid further losses and casualties. The organisers of the protests and their representatives should embrace dialogue with the government,” he said.

However, Omoyele Sowore, a former presidential candidate and prominent activist, dismissed Adegboruwa’s call as a personal opinion. “No, it is his personal opinion and he’s spoken only, based on his understanding of how the narrative was being twisted,” Sowore stated.

The Take It Back Movement, a major mobilizer for the protests, also distanced itself from Adegboruwa’s stance. Director of Mobilisation Damilare Adenola tweeted, “Our protest extends for the next 10 days and beyond! Learned Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Adegboruwa is not our lawyer, he doesn’t speak for us! Abuja people, your comrades in the struggle are already converged at the National Stadium as we speak, join them! This fight is our fight, not their fight!”

Festus Ogun, the legal adviser for the Take It Back Movement, further criticized Adegboruwa’s position, asserting that only a national broadcast from President Bola Tinubu could persuade protesters to stop. “The protest is beyond one individual; it is a movement of the people, a movement of common Nigerians. We respect his (Adegboruwa) opinion, and we respect his advice, but the issue is not about Mr Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa; the issue is about the President, who is acting as if he can’t hear Nigerians,” Ogun explained.

In contrast, the Timely Intervention group supported Adegboruwa’s call for suspension. Tunde Phillips, a member of their executive board, said, “I am just leaving the protest venue in Abuja right now, and our group has agreed to suspend the protest. It has become too violent. For instance, today, I would have been shot if not that I ran fast. Some people, I am sure, would have been injured, if not killed. The protest should be suspended.”

The Active Citizens Group, another early supporter, also backed Adegboruwa’s call, citing hijacking by hoodlums as their reason for withdrawal. Adaeze Onoja from the group’s National Working Committee said, “Hoodlums have hijacked the protest. We are pulling out. I just left an emergency NWC meeting and that was our decision.”

Jabir Yaro, National Chairman of the Northern Comrades Movement of Nigeria, one of the key groups leading the protests in the North, accused some organizers of being bribed to disrupt the protest. “There are individuals who have been paid to disorganize this protest, and these are the people causing problems and division. The only significant thing is that our leader, Ibrahim Abdulkarim, was arrested while engaging in a peaceful protest but we are following it up,” Yaro said.

Emmanuel Olowu, a leader of the protest in Osun State, echoed similar sentiments, alleging government involvement in discrediting the protest. “Before the commencement of this struggle, some people have been addressing press conferences to dissociate themselves from it. Some others have also claimed they are pulling out from the protest. These sets of people were never part of us. They are pro-government reactionaries. They have been compromised by the government against their conscience,” Olowu stated.

Despite the divisions and allegations, Festus Ogun remains resolute that no amount of financial inducement will deter Nigerians from continuing the mass action.