Why Obidient Movement Orchestrated #EndSARS – Bisi Akande Alleges
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Bisi Akande, a former governor of Osun State, has made a shocking allegation that the “Obidient” movement orchestrated the #EndSARS protests in 2020. However, there is no credible evidence to support this claim.
Speaking in an interview on State Affairs with Edmund Obilo, published on Wednesday via YouTube, Akande alleged that protest was ‘manufactured’ in America.He said, “EndSARS was aimed and designed to be the end of Tinubu. Those behind the EndSARS knew what they were doing.
“The Obidients were behind the EndSARS. It was manufactured from America just to stop Tinubu.“The Obidients came from America to do EndSARS, which later became a movement. They could not form a party, so they joined whichever party. It was well planned and organised with a lot of money from America”.
Akande also recounted how he convinced Tinubu to run for the 2023 presidential election despite financial constraints, revealing that Tinubu was initially hesitant to join the race.
His words: “When I met him (Tinubu), he said, ‘Baba, do you have money? If I had the kind of money that people have to be president, I would rank with Dangote’.“People called me and said, ‘Come, there is trouble. Anybody that talks to him about the presidency, he was quarrelling with them.’ So, I went to Lagos and met him.”
Speaking further, Akande shared that he convinced Tinubu to run for the 2023 presidency by highlighting Yoruba tradition.
He said, “I told him, ‘We don’t want you to be president because of you. You are unimportant in this matter. But in Yoruba tradition, when you want to worship the deity, you take the fattest animal or the biggest yam to worship. Yoruba wants to be president, and you are the one we have now. It is to sacrifice you so that we can have a president, not for you to be anything.
“He was looking at me as if I was sick or something,” Akande said, adding that Tinubu later asked him, “Baba, you now say I should run. What about this, my leg?” referring to his health challenges. Akande assured him, “Go and do it. There is still time. You will heal in six months.”
The #EndSARS movement was a nationwide protest against police brutality and extrajudicial killings by the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) in Nigeria. The protests, which began in October 2020, were sparked by a viral video showing SARS officers dragging two men from a hotel and shooting one of them outside.
The movement gained momentum, with thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets in cities across Nigeria, demanding justice for victims of police violence and extrajudicial killings. The protests elicited global sympathy and support, with world leaders such as the United Nations Secretary-General calling for an end to police brutality in Nigeria.
However, the Nigerian government’s response to the protests was marred by violence and repression. On October 20, 2020, Nigerian military forces fired live ammunition at peaceful protesters at the Lekki toll gate in Lagos, killing at least 12 people.
Despite the government’s attempts to disband SARS and replace it with a new unit, the protests continued, with demonstrators demanding more than just empty promises. The movement highlighted the need for more young people to exercise their civil and political rights to speak out against injustices and demand change from state leaders elected to serve the needs of the populace.
However, while Bisi Akande’s allegations against the “Obidient” movement are yet to be substantiated, the #EndSARS movement was a genuine response to the systemic police brutality and extrajudicial killings in Nigeria. The movement’s demands for justice, accountability, and reform remain unfulfilled clear three years before the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, and pundits believe that it is essential to continue the conversation and push for meaningful change.
This post has already been read at least 1181 times!
