Former Osun State Governor, Bisi Akande, has alleged that the 2020 #EndSARS protest was orchestrated by the ‘Obidient’ movement to derail Bola Tinubu’s presidential ambitions.
The ‘Obidients’ refer to supporters of Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election.
Speaking in an interview with Edmund Obilo, which was shared on YouTube, Akande, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), claimed that the #EndSARS protest was planned and funded from the United States.
“#EndSARS was designed to bring an end to Tinubu’s political career. Those behind it knew exactly what they were doing,” Akande asserted.
He further alleged that the movement was initiated by ‘Obidients’ from America, who later joined various political parties after failing to form their own. “It was a well-organized plan, backed by significant funding from the U.S.,” he added.
Akande also recounted how he convinced Tinubu to contest the 2023 presidential election despite financial constraints.
He claimed Tinubu was initially reluctant, saying, “They called me, saying there was a problem. Whenever anyone mentioned the presidency, he would get upset. When I met him in Lagos, he asked, ‘Baba, do you have money? If I had the kind of money required to be president, I would be as wealthy as Dangote.’”
Akande said he assured Tinubu that his candidacy was not just for himself but for the Yoruba ethnic group.
The #EndSARS protests in October 2020 were a nationwide movement against police brutality, particularly targeting the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS). The protests, which stemmed from years of reported abuse and extortion by the unit, led to its eventual disbandment as public outrage grew across Nigeria.