Omoyele Sowore, a prominent human rights activist and leader of the #RevolutionNow movement, has rejected an invitation from the National Peace Committee (NPC) to attend a town hall meeting aimed at addressing the demands of the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters.
Sowore, who has been a vocal critic of Nigeria’s political system, announced his decision on Wednesday, September 25, 2024.
He cited major concerns, including inaccuracies in the committee’s presentation of the protesters’ demands and the involvement of political parties that were not part of the protests.
The National Peace Committee, led by Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah and chaired by former head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar, invited Sowore to participate in a one-day town hall meeting scheduled for September 26, 2024, in Abuja.
The meeting was organized to address the grievances raised by the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters, who had taken to the streets across the country in early August, demanding an end to the widespread hunger, insecurity, and economic hardship that have plagued Nigerians under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The NPC was formed in 2014 as a non-governmental initiative to help mediate in times of political and national crises.
The committee has been involved in several high-level mediation efforts in Nigeria, often engaging political stakeholders to resolve conflicts.
The town hall meeting was planned as part of the committee’s efforts to provide a platform for peaceful dialogue between the government, political parties, and protesters.
The letter inviting Sowore to the meeting acknowledged the importance of addressing the protesters’ concerns and outlined the committee’s role in national mediation.
Sowore, however, refused the invitation, raising two critical points.
First, he criticized the committee for inaccurately stating that the protesters had 10 demands, while the actual number had increased to 17.
Sowore argued that this demonstrated a lack of understanding of the protesters’ position and the evolving nature of their grievances.
He highlighted the need for the NPC to engage with the full list of demands, which had expanded to include critical issues such as the fundamental overhaul of Nigeria’s electoral system.
“Last night, I received an invitation from the @KukahCentre indicating that the National Peace Committee intends to convene a town hall meeting in Abuja to address the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protesters’ grievances,” Sowore wrote on his social media handle.
“However, two key issues arise: firstly, the committee inaccurately stated that there are 10 demands, whereas our actual demands have increased from 15 to 17.”
His second concern was the inclusion of political parties in the discussions.
Sowore argued that most of these political parties did not participate in the protests and, as a result, their involvement in the meeting would be inconsequential.
He questioned the relevance of these parties in addressing the protesters’ demands and suggested that their inclusion was an attempt to dilute the core issues.
Sowore emphasized that the Tinubu administration itself was a major obstacle to peace in Nigeria, accusing the government of not addressing the root causes of unrest in the country.
“The ‘Peace Committee’ primarily extends invitations to political parties, most of which did not participate in the protests, rendering their representation inconsequential,” he wrote.
Sowore further pointed out that innocent protesters were still being detained in various prisons across the country.
According to him, any meaningful mediation could not take place while protesters remained incarcerated, and while the government continued to ignore the demands for change.
“No meaningful mediation can occur while innocent protesters remain incarcerated and our demands, including the fundamental overhaul of our electoral systems, remain unaddressed,” Sowore added.
The #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protests, which swept across the country in August, were born out of frustration with the worsening living conditions under President Tinubu’s administration.
The protests focused on various issues, including hunger, the high cost of living, insecurity, and the need for electoral reform.
In his response to the NPC’s invitation, Sowore referenced the conduct of the Tinubu administration during the recent Edo State elections, which he said further demonstrated the regime’s disregard for democracy and the will of the people.
“The Tinubu @officialABAT regime constitutes the main impediment to peace in Nigeria,” Sowore stated, “a case in point is its recent conduct in Edo state #EdoDecides2024.”
For Sowore, the town hall meeting proposed by the NPC was unlikely to bring about meaningful change as long as the government continued to ignore the protesters’ demands and keep demonstrators behind bars.
