Sowore Announces 14 Demands from Tinubu Ahead of ‘Days of Rage’ Protest
Omoyele Sowore, the convener of #RevolutionNow, has outlined 14 key demands from Nigerians directed at President Bola Tinubu’s administration. These demands are set against the backdrop of the planned ‘Days of Rage’ protests, which are scheduled to take place from late July to August 2024.
Sowore published the demands on his social media platforms, emphasizing that they reflect the collective voice of Nigerians participating in the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria campaign. He stated, “These are the most common but fundamental demands from those committed to ending bad governance in Nigeria during the Days of Rage revolt.”
The 14 demands are as follows:
1. Scrap the 1999 Constitution: Replace it with a new, people-made constitution for the Federal Republic of Nigeria through a Sovereign National Conference, followed by a National Referendum.
2. Abolish the Senate: Retain the House of Representatives and make lawmaking a part-time role.
3. Minimum Wage: Ensure Nigerian workers receive a minimum wage of at least N250,000 monthly.
4. Educational Investment: Provide grants, not loans, to students and aggressively pursue free and compulsory education for all children in Nigeria.
5. Release Nnamdi Kanu: Unconditionally release the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and demilitarize the South East.
6. Renationalize Enterprises: Return publicly owned enterprises, sold to government officials and cronies, to public ownership.
7. Reinstate Subsidies: Implement a corruption-free subsidy regime to alleviate hunger, starvation, and poverty.
8. Probe and Recover Looted Funds: Investigate past and present leaders who have looted the treasury, recover the funds, and use them to finance education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
9. Restructure Nigeria: Ensure restructuring to accommodate Nigeria’s diversity, resource control, decentralization, and regional development.
10. Reform Security Agencies: Stop human rights violations and duplication of security efforts while enhancing citizens’ physical security.
11. Establish a Special Energy Fund: Drive massive, corruption-free development in the power sector.
12. Reconstitute INEC: Overhaul the Independent National Electoral Commission to remove corrupt and partisan individuals.
13. Invest in Public Works and Industrialization: Create jobs for Nigeria’s youth through significant investment in public infrastructure and industrialization.
14. Judiciary Shake-up: Remove corrupt judges and judicial officers to ensure access to real justice for ordinary citizens.
Sowore has called for nationwide mobilization to join the ‘Days of Rage’ protests, marking the fifth anniversary of the 2019 #RevolutionNow demonstration. He urges the public to unite and push for these demands, highlighting the need for immediate action to address the governance challenges facing Nigeria.
