By Chris Osa Nehikhare
First, it was students. Then it became AAU comrades. Suddenly, it was the same people who killed the police officer at the airport. Moments later, we were told it was sponsored by the diaspora residents.
One government. One protest. Four different suspects.
This is not intelligence gathering; it is confusion masquerading as authority.
The Ekpoma protest did not expose the protesters—it exposed a government unsure of its facts, unsure of its message, and alarmingly unsure of itself. When a government cannot clearly identify who protested, why they protested, or what their grievances are, it reveals a deeper failure: a widening disconnect between those who govern and the people they govern.
Protests do not happen in a vacuum. They are usually the loud expression of long-ignored whispers—about insecurity, economic hardship, neglect, and frustration. But instead of listening, Edo State chose scapegoats. Instead of engagement, it offered conspiracy theories. Instead of leadership, it offered blame.
Worse still, the so-called anti-protest rally staged yesterday, January 13th, 2026 evokes an uncomfortable memory. It calls to mind the dark days of the General Abacha era and the infamous “One Million Man March” organised to manufacture public support for a failing regime. We all remember how that ended—not with legitimacy, not with redemption, but with collapse and national relief.
History teaches us that rented crowds do not replace genuine consent. Forced applause does not silence real pain. And propaganda rallies cannot mask the consequences of poor governance.
Every false label cheapens the truth. Every shifting narrative insults the intelligence of the people. You cannot criminalise discontent today and seek public trust tomorrow.
The real issue is not whether the protesters were students, activists, or citizens at home and abroad. The real issue is why Edo people feel compelled to protest at all. Governance is not about hunting suspects after the fact; it is about preventing despair before it spills into the streets.
Edo is not suffering from too many protests. Edo is suffering from too much denial. Government must learn to confront reality with honesty, consistency, and empathy, to prevent events like Ekpoma repeating themselves.
A state cannot move forward when its leaders are busy arguing over who to blame instead of what to fix.
Hon. Chris Nehikhare is the former Commissioner for Communication and Orientation in Edo State
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