…As UAD calls for mass action
Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana and a coalition of civil society organisations have intensified mobilisation for a nationwide protest scheduled for June 12, urging Nigerians to take to the streets over worsening insecurity, economic hardship, and what they describe as failures in governance.
The planned demonstration, slated for today which coincides with Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebration, is expected to be held in major cities across the country and is aimed at drawing attention to rising cases of kidnapping, violent attacks, unemployment, inflation, and the deteriorating living conditions of ordinary citizens.
The organisers said millions of Nigerians continue to grapple with the high cost of living while many communities remain under constant threat from bandits, terrorists, kidnappers, and other criminal elements. They stressed that peaceful protest remains a constitutional means for citizens to express dissatisfaction and demand accountability from the government.
Adding its voice to the call, the pro-democracy group United Actions For Democracy (UAD) urged Nigerians to participate massively in the June 12 demonstrations, warning that citizens must “take their destinies into their hands” or risk being overwhelmed by the country’s growing security crisis.
In a statement issued yesterday by its General Secretary, Kunle Wizeman Ajayi, the group said the worsening security situation has exposed what it described as a systemic failure of leadership and governance. “It is now very clear that Nigerians have to take their destinies into their hands by rising together to defeat the mass insecurity that is now the biggest threat in the country”, Ajayi said.
According to UAD, the protests provide an opportunity for citizens to send a strong message not only to bandits, terrorists, and other criminal groups, but also to public officials whose actions or inactions, it claimed, have contributed to the current insecurity.
The group called on Nigerians to put aside ethnic, religious, and political differences and unite against what it described as a deepening national crisis. “We need to rise en masse together to send a clear statement to bandits, terrorists, and other criminals. We also need to send a deep statement to all those who are in government whose activities are the primary causes of the current insecurity”, Ajayi added.
UAD further described Democracy Day as symbolic, arguing that the country remains far from attaining the ideals of genuine democratic governance. “Nigerians have a chance on June 12 to renew our principles and pledge to democracy. It is Democracy Day, and we are still millions of miles away from democracy. It’s time to rise against all forms of impunity”, the statement said.
The organisation also appealed to the National Union of Teachers (NUT) to join the demonstrations in defence of teachers and students, particularly amid growing concerns over attacks on schools and educational institutions.
While commending several civil society groups for mobilising citizens, UAD praised the Take It Back Movement for its role in organising protests nationwide and acknowledged the Federal Workers Forum for encouraging civic participation among workers.
The group, however, criticised the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), accusing it of failing to adequately represent the interests of students amid the country’s mounting challenges.
UAD subsequently urged student unions across the country to actively participate in the June 12 actions, insisting that young people should take the lead in defending schools, communities, and democratic values.
As preparations for the demonstrations gathered momentum, organisers called on participants to remain peaceful and law-abiding, while urging security agencies and authorities to respect citizens’ constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and expression.
