His Eminence, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, the Emeritus Archbishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, has emphasized that the recent EndBadGovernance protests were not aimed at ending President Bola Tinubu’s administration but were a call for improved governance in Nigeria.
Speaking at an event organized by the Christian Youth for Peace and Development Initiative in Abuja on Tuesday, Cardinal Onaiyekan expressed the sentiments behind the protests, noting that the youth were motivated by a desire for better management of the country. “The 10 days of #EndBadGovernance protests saw the young people coming out in large numbers. From my own opinion, they were not coming out to insult anybody,” he said.
The Cardinal further clarified that the protesters’ message was not an attack on President Tinubu but a broader appeal for ending bad governance in Nigeria. “They didn’t say that they were ending Tinubu’s government. They simply said they want to end bad governance. Is there anything wrong with that? We all must be seen to be trying to end bad governance,” he remarked, adding that there is a consensus that the governance and management of Nigeria can be improved.
Addressing the impatience often associated with the youth, Cardinal Onaiyekan questioned the advice for patience given by the president. He pointed out that it is natural for young people to be impatient, as they are driven by a sense of urgency to enact change. “I’m not sure whether he was very patient when he was 30 years old. He wasn’t patient,” he observed. “The young people cannot be patient, but they should not be patient. Because if they are patient, they will just sit down and do nothing,” he added, highlighting the importance of active engagement in the pursuit of better governance.