Protest is not enough – Seun Kuti urges Nigerians to mobilise

He stresses that protests should only be the start of the demonstrations.

On the heels of the nationwide protests against bad governance, musician and activist Seun Kuti has called on Nigerians to do more than just protest and to work towards real political change.

Kuti made his stance during a recent appearance on the Rubbin Minds show and argued that simply holding demonstrations is not enough to address the country’s problems.

He began, “I am going to paraphrase Martin Luther King, but he said something like, ‘I would rather live in a warzone that is just than live in a peaceful place where there are no rights because there is nothing more peaceful than an unjust society’. They have accepted their fate and keep quiet so the oppressors can do what they like.”

“Up until 10 years ago, Nigerians were the most resilient people in the world, they said we were the happiest people in the world and nobody came to give us awards for it. Now that we want to start speaking up for the betterment of ourselves, we are being charged,” the singer added.

Kuti criticised the current state of activism in Nigeria, emphasising the need for organised and systemic change rather than mere demonstrations.

He explained, “What I will tell Nigerians is that protest is not enough. I see protests as a child going to a loving parent complaining, ‘Oh, mummy, I don’t want to eat this,’ because the daddy and mummy care. But these people don’t care; that’s why I don’t preach protest only; I preach mass organisation because we the people must also organise ourselves for power.”

Nigerians embarked on a nationwide protest against bad governance on August 1 to August 10, 2024.

“It is not enough that we are protesting because we don’t like what they do, we must also send signals that we are ready to replace them. Not with another version of themselves like we did before, PDP to APC but with new people, representatives from our side of the divide,” he added.

Kuti also criticized the current capitalist system and called for a shift towards a more socialist approach.

He stated, “It’s not enough that people protest, it is the start of the dance. We need to mass mobilise into a socialist identity to realise this country from this capitalist nonsense we are experiencing.”

See the full interview below: