By SUNTV Global Channel
August 6, 2026
Fresh controversy has erupted in Abuja following allegations that pro-President Bola Tinubu demonstrations were organised to counter the nationwide #RevolutionNOW protests led by activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore.
The allegations surfaced after groups of pro-Tinubu supporters staged rallies across parts of the Federal Capital Territory for two consecutive days, carrying banners in support of President Bola Tinubu while criticizing Sowore and the #RevolutionNOW movement.
The demonstrations featured large crowds, including women and children, with some participants carrying placards declaring support for the Tinubu administration and condemning anti-government protests.
During the rally, one of the protest leaders, Ambassador Saad, said the group would no longer tolerate demonstrations against President Tinubu, accusing Sowore of promoting actions capable of undermining national stability.
According to him, Nigerians should reject what he described as attempts to disguise political agitation as activism. He also urged security agencies and the judiciary to take appropriate legal action if any individual is found to have violated the law.
The protests followed the nationwide #RevolutionNOW demonstrations held on August 5, during which Sowore and his supporters demanded improved governance, economic reforms, accountability, and relief from worsening economic hardship across the country.
Addressing supporters during the protest in Abuja, Sowore maintained that no security agency, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), or the Nigerian Army, could stop what he described as a growing movement for political change.
He also outlined several demands, including an increase in the national minimum wage to ₦500,000, the release of detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu, and an end to what he described as the persecution of activists and government critics.
Meanwhile, allegations that the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Tosin Ajayi, sponsored the pro-Tinubu demonstrations have circulated in connection with the counter-protests. However, no official evidence has been publicly presented to substantiate the claim, and the DSS has not publicly responded to the allegation at the time of this report.
The developments highlight growing political tensions as competing groups continue to express sharply different views over the direction of governance and democratic activism in Nigeria.
