The Politics of Endsars and Endbadgovernance Protests in Nigeria

Abstract

This paper examines two pivotal movements in Nigeria's recent political landscape: the EndSARS and ‘Endbadgovernance’ protests. The EndSARs movement, which emerged in late 2020s, was a widespread public outcry against police brutality, specifically targeting the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigerian Police Force. This grassroots campaign highlighted the systemic issues within law enforcement and galvanized national and international support for police reform. In contrast, the ‘Endbadgovernance’ movement ought to address broader issues of governance, corruption, and systemic inefficiency under the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) from 2015 to 2024.  This study explores the similarities and differences between these movements in terms of their goals, strategies, and impacts. While both aim to address deep-rooted issues within Nigeria's political and institutional frameworks, EndSARS specifically focused on law enforcement reform, whereas ‘Endbadgovernance’   advocated for a more comprehensive overhaul of political and administrative systems. The study evaluates the effectiveness of each movement in achieving its objectives, the responses from the APC government and the broader implications for Nigerian democracy and governance. Through this comparative lens, the analysis sheds light on the challenges and opportunities for political activism in Nigeria. The data sources include secondary and interviews to ascertain the level of politicization of the protests against Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and bad governance. The study reveals that the reasons for these protests were based on police brutality and pervasive hunger. That in itself shows the need for policy directions towards good governance. The study recommends among others that there should be discussion for proper management of the Nigerian state.