Bisi Akande claims the 2020 #EndSARS protest was designed by the Obidients movement to end Bola Tinubu’s political career. Akande further alleges that the protest, which focused on police brutality, was planned from the U.S. and aimed at undermining Tinubu’s political ambitions, linking it to the Labour Party's 2023 campaign.
In a recent podcast interview, Bisi Akande, the former governor of Osun State and ex-chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), made a controversial claim regarding the 2020 #EndSARS protest. Akande alleged that the movement, which called for an end to police brutality and demanded reforms to the Nigerian Police Force, was a strategic attempt to end the political career of Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s current president.
According to Akande, the protest was orchestrated by the Obidients—supporters of Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate from the Labour Party—who allegedly masterminded the protest from abroad, particularly from the United States. He claimed that the Obidients intended for the protest to halt Tinubu’s political progress, stating, "The Obidients were behind the EndSARS, it was well-planned, organized with a lot of money from America."
When questioned about the connection between the Obidients movement and Peter Obi’s political campaign, Akande stated he was unsure if Obi’s party or movement were directly involved but reiterated the involvement of the Obidients. He also defended Tinubu’s inability to foresee the protest’s impact, suggesting, “not every ambush is detected.”
Akande’s statements add fuel to the ongoing debate about the political motivations behind the 2020 protests, with many questioning the true forces behind the movement and its lasting impact on Nigerian politics.
