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OPINION: The Politics Of Protest In Nigeria [Nation’s Pulse]

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By Israel Adebiyi

Nigeria is a paradox wrapped in pain and promise — a country with vast resources, fertile soil, and brilliant minds, yet locked in the chains of systemic failure and elite manipulation. Milk and honey may flow across its landscapes, but the people remain hungry — not for food alone, but for justice, dignity, and a government that works.

Why is it that a nation so blessed seems to curse its people with poverty, insecurity, and hopelessness? Apathy? Maybe. Complicity? Definitely.

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The truth is, many Nigerians have stopped holding their leaders accountable. Some are simply waiting for their turn at the table of loot, convinced that justice is no longer a collective pursuit but a personal ambition. Yet, there remains a vast population of everyday Nigerians who wake up each day to survive — not thrive. These are the people with every reason to protest. If not for today, then for tomorrow’s children, who risk inheriting a more broken nation than the one we live in now.

The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) grants every citizen the right to peaceful assembly and protest. Section 40 explicitly states: “Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons…” More so, Section 14(2)(b) is unambiguous about the purpose of government: “The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.”

If the government fails in this duty — and it has, tragically and consistently — then the people are not only justified to protest; they are obligated to.

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But what do we see instead? We see silence — not the silence of peace but the silence of resignation. We hear nothing from the elite whose mouths are full but consciences hollow. These are the ones who dine with oppressors but ask the oppressed to “show understanding.” Understanding for what, exactly? For rising food prices? For fuel subsidies that vanish into thin air? For lives lost in Plateau, Benue, Zamfara and countless unreported communities across Nigeria?

And when voices dare to rise, when the streets start to stir, when placards are raised, what happens?

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Another crowd appears — not in solidarity, but in opposition. Paid counter-protesters. Men and women bought for the price of a meal, waving banners that defend the very system crushing them. This is the politics of protest in Nigeria: a tragic theatre where hunger is weaponized, and voices are drowned in a sea of rented noise.

On Monday, April 7, 2025, young demonstrators under the banner of the Take-It-Back Movement defied police orders and took to the streets in Abuja, Lagos, Oyo, Rivers, and other states. Clad in signature orange berets, these protesters sang solidarity songs as they marched through major roads, demanding better governance and the fulfillment of Nigeria’s democratic promise.

Their defiance came despite a warning from the Nigeria Police Force, which labeled their protest “ill-conceived and mischievous.” Unsurprisingly, turnout was low. More disturbingly, police officers—who ought to protect peaceful demonstrators—unleashed canisters of teargas on them. In Port Harcourt and Abuja, protesters scattered in panic. Sadly, this is nothing new in a nation where dissent is often treated as a threat rather than a right.

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READ ALSO: OPINION: Tinubu, Atiku And The Lion’s Share [Monday Lines 2]

Nigeria is no stranger to protest. Our history is marked by brave men and women who rose against oppression: the Aba Women’s Riot (1929), the Abeokuta Women’s Revolt (1947), the Ali Must Go protests (1978), the anti-SAP riots (1989), the June 12 protests (1993), Occupy Nigeria (2012), End SARS (2020), End Bad Governance (2024), and now the Take-It-Back Movement (2025). Each was a cry for justice — a demand for better governance and dignity.

But with every protest comes a familiar pattern: counter-protests mysteriously spring up, police brutality follows, and then, silence returns.

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There is a peculiar madness to the Nigerian situation: citizens who should be protesting against hunger, insecurity, and misgovernance are instead recruited to counter such protests. Sponsored by political actors, these counter-demonstrations are often manned by the very people being plundered. Poverty becomes a currency of control. The politicians understand that controlling the purse means controlling the pulse of the nation.

It’s not uncommon to see protesters sharing cash “appreciation” after an outing. When the promised payment falls short, arguments erupt — sometimes violently — over stipends. This turns a supposed civic action into a spectacle. The powerful know: feed the hunger, and you silence the anger. It is political theatre masked as civil resistance.

How can a people march against poverty in the morning and return in the evening to counter the same protest — cheering the very suffering they denounced? It is not ignorance — it is a system that has made survival more urgent than liberty.

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While the poor are manipulated, the elite remain eerily silent. Those who should speak truth to power would rather urge “understanding” — the same understanding that sent their fathers to the grave, unremembered.

We’ve also allowed cultural and religious narratives to dilute our collective courage. “Respect authority,” they say. “Do not rebel against God’s anointed.” But does obedience mean silence in the face of injustice? If our forebears showed this same understanding and retired to their early graves penniless, must we die the same way?

READ ALSO: OPINION: Natahsha’s Apoti Is Not Godswill For Apkabio

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Let’s be clear: silence is not spiritual. Submission is not sainthood. A people cannot fear both God and their government — one must give way.

Can Nigeria break free? Can Nigerians demand a system where lawmakers represent us, not themselves? Can we insist that those elected are the best among us, not the wealthiest or most connected? Can we rise above tokenism and stop celebrating crumbs from those who stole the bakery?

The politics may never end — the elite will always find a way to protect their privilege. But the people must become wiser. The price of silence is higher than the risk of protest.

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Until Nigerians rise not just in anger but in strategy — not just in numbers but in purpose — we will remain trapped in this vicious cycle of elite manipulation and manufactured consent.

The pulse of this nation beats faintly, but it still beats.

Let us protest — not just with placards but with our voices, our votes, our pens, and our principles. Let us remind those in power that the people are not spectators in the theatre of governance — we are the soul of the nation.

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And when the people rise — truly rise — no paid protest, no media spin, no bullet can stop them. The elite must speak louder. And the youth must march — more organized, more informed, and more relentless.

History is watching. And the future is listening.

Until next week, keep your finger on The Nation’s Pulse.

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Edo To Immortalise Late IGP Solomon Arase

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The Edo State Government is set to immortalise the late Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase, who is an indigene of the state.

Governor of the state, Monday Okpebhole, disclosed this on Saturday while receiving the body of the late Arase at the Benin Airport.

Represented by his Chief of Staff, Gani Audu, Okpebholo described late Arase as “one of the finesse police officers and lawyers we have in Edo State,’ adding that “losing him at this time that the Nigeria Police Force and the country in general need him is not good for us”.

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“As a State Government, we will work with the family to see how we can Immortalize him. He was a great son of Edo State.

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It is very painful to the government and people of Edo State but we are consoled with the good life he lived”.

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Okpebholo described Arase as a team player and a man that was always willing to help.

It is painful that we lost somebody who always listens to every complaint and tries as much as possible to solve them”.

He, however, prayed to God to give the family the fortitude to bear the loss, assuring that the government will do all that it can to support his family.

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Edo Activist In Police Net Over Alleged Assault On Abure

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Edo-based activist, Precious Oruche, popularly known as “Mama Pee”, has been detained following a heated confrontation with the factional National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure, at the Abuja Airport.

The incident, which had since gone viral, had sparked controversy and conflicting accounts from both parties.

According to reports, the saga began at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, where Mama Pee allegedly confronted Abure as he prepared to board a Max Air flight to Benin.

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Eyewitness accounts said the activist approached Abure and accused him of being responsible for the hardships Nigerians are currently facing.

“Is this not Julius Abure? You’re the one frustrating Nigerians,” she reportedly told Abure in a confrontational manner.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: Supreme Court Nullifies Judgment Recognising Abure As LP National Chair

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Abure was responding by saying ‘how can…’ when Mama Pee interjected, saying, “In case nobody has told you, you’re the one frustrating Nigerians. Are you not Julius Abure? What are you now doing with Labour Party? Police are looking for you. You’ve destroyed the Labour Party, and you’re entering an aeroplane? May God punish all of you.”

Arriving at the Benin Airport, things took a more violent dimension as Mama Pee was allegedly attacked by a group of young men believed to be thugs loyal to Abure.

A video circulating online shows a scuffle at the airport’s exit, with several individuals attempting to drag the activist, before security and immigration officials stepped in.

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Speaking in one of the video recordings, Mama Pee claimed she was assaulted by the group.

“Look at them oh!!! See them oh!!! They want to beat me after I told Julius Abure that he is the one frustrating the lives of Nigerians, and then he brought thugs. He brought thugs to harass me. Look at them, can you see them,” she exclaimed.

READ ALSO:Why LP Zoned 2027 Presidential Ticket To S’East – Abure

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She further alleged, “I saw Julius Abure of Labour Party inside the Max Air, and I told him that you are the one frustrating the lives of Nigerians. You sold Labour Party, and then he called his thugs to wait for me at the airport in Benin.”

Another activist, Peter Akah—widely known as ‘Peter for Nigeria’—released a video calling for Mama Pee’s immediate release.

He appealed to Edo State governor, Monday Okpebholo, and the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika to intervene.

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Akah argued that the activist, who he described as a victim of political violence, had been wrongly turned into a suspect by the police.

Meanwhile, the Abure-led faction of the Labour Party has issued its own version of events, condemning what it termed an “unwarranted attack” on their chairman.

READ ALSO:Obi: Concerns as factional LP Chair, Abure, Visits Wike

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In a statement released by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, the party claimed Mama Pee accosted Abure at the Abuja airport in an unprovoked manner while he was boarding his flight to Benin.

The assault, which attracted a large population of onlookers, continued unabated on disembarkment at the Benin Airport while she continued recording the scene,” Ifoh stated.

He added that Abure had to be quickly escorted to safety by security agents, while the activist was handed over to police for questioning.

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The statement further alleged that Mama Pee, who is described as a known figure in the ‘Obidient’ Movement, bragged in one of her videos about her connections to top police officers.

“She vowed that she will not stop attacking Abure or any member of the Labour Party executive because according to her, ‘you have killed Labour Party and you are the reason why Obi is no longer in the Labour Party,’” Ifoh said.

He called for a thorough probe, just as he urged the Inspector General of Police to look into what they termed cyberbullying and political provocation.

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As of the time of filing this report, attempts to get a comment from the Edo State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Moses Yamu, were unsuccessful as calls were neither answered nor returned.

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Educationist Gets Guinness World Record For Largest Teachers’ Gathering

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Nigerian teacher and education advocate, Mr Seyi Anifowose, has officially entered the Guinness World Records for convening the largest gathering of teachers in history, a feat achieved at the “Let There Be Teachers Conference 2025” held on September 20 at Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos.

A statement by 1 Million Teachers on Friday said the confirmation was announced via a Zoom call on Wednesday, September 23, by Rishi Nath, a representative of Guinness World Records.

Nath commended Anifowose and his team for drawing global attention to an issue that, according to him, “should be on the front burner of policy and dialogue nationally.”

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The record-setting event, powered by 1 Million Teachers, drew an unprecedented number of educators from across Nigeria.

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Organisers had projected attendance of 60,000 teachers, underscoring both the scale of the mobilisation and the urgency of the message: that Nigerian teachers deserve greater recognition, welfare, and policy support.

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“This is more than a number. It is proof that teachers matter. It is a victory for education, and it is a victory for Nigeria,” said Anifowose.

He explained that the choice of Tafawa Balewa Square carried symbolic weight. He said, “It was the same ground where Nigeria declared independence in 1960, and its use for the conference marks another proud national moment—this time celebrating those who build nations in classrooms.”

Anifowose admitted that achieving the milestone was not without challenges.

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READ ALSO:Canada-based Nigerian Sets Guinness World Record For Longest Leadership Lesson

“This is not just about breaking a record. It is about resilience. Teachers stood in the rain, braved the sun, and endured long verification lines but refused to back down just to achieve this record,” he noted.

He expressed gratitude to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State for hosting the event and to his home-state governor, Abiodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State, for his encouragement.

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He also thanked teacher unions and education agencies at both state and federal levels for their support in ensuring the conference’s success.

Beyond the record, Anifowose emphasised that the next phase would focus on policy advocacy. He revealed plans to engage the National Assembly on reforms aimed at improving Nigeria’s education system and boosting teachers’ welfare.

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Nigeria’s education sector has long grappled with underfunding, poor infrastructure, and low teacher morale.

According to UNESCO, the country faces one of the world’s most severe teacher shortages, with many classrooms overcrowded and educators underpaid.

Stakeholders have repeatedly called for reforms to strengthen the sector, improve teacher training, and make the profession attractive to younger generations.

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By securing this world record, Anifowose hopes to transform symbolic recognition into tangible change for teachers nationwide.

(PUNCH)

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