A victory for Peter Obi in Nigeria’s 2023 election will be a victory for Endsars victims, George Floyd, Black Lives Matter movement and all black people all over the world, Mark Leon Goldberg has said
Glamtush reports that Goldberg said Nigeria as the largest democracy in Africa and all countries populated by black people hold a special place in the world and the rights of blacks all over the world.
This online platform gathered that Goldberg who is UNDispatcher Editor – an international news medium – said “If Peter Obi ends up winning the presidential elections in Nigeria, you could argue that it would represent the most significant political impact of the George Floyd protests anywhere in the world — including the US.”
Giving background on why the victory of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party would be pride for all blacks, black movement groups and police brutality victims, Goldberg said, “Nigeria is the largest democracy in Africa and one of the largest multi-party democracies in the world.
“Peter Obi is a surprising insurgent third-party candidate currently leading in the polls ahead of Nigeria’s February 25 elections.
“Obi’s surging poll numbers are largely due to his support among young people (under the age of 34) who have registered to vote in record numbers in recent months.”
Connecting the awakening of Nigerian youths, Obi’s victory and George Floyd and Black Lives Matter movement, the UN Dispatcher editor said, “So what does this have to do with the George Floyd and BLM?”
He added, “In 2020 many thousands of Nigerian youth took to the streets in historic protests against police brutality. The movement was called #EndSARS and very much drew inspiration from BLM.
“It turns out that this 2020 movement against police brutality inspired a massive political awakening among Nigerian youth, who are now getting registered to vote in record numbers.”
“According to official stats, ~85% of over 9 million newly registered voters are under 34,” he added.
He said Peter Obi “the leading presidential candidate in one of the largest democracies in the world may owe his election to newly engaged young voters whose entry to politics was a protest movement directly inspired by BLM.”
However, Rinu Oduala, Endsars protest and End to police brutality activist said Goldberg’s assumption that the Black Lives Matter movement for George Floyd was not the eye opener that led to the Ednsars protest in 2020 and the political awareness of youths.
Rinu said Endsars was a stand-alone protest that had nothing to do with BLM protests in America. She agreed that the Endsars protest was responsible for the political awareness of Nigerian youths.
Rinu said, “I disagree with you drawing a straight line from BLM to the #EndSARS protests. That’s a fallacy.
“Nigerians are no stranger to police brutality and protests have been slowly building momentum in Nigeria since 2016, years before the George Floyd protests in 2020.”
“#EndSARS inspired a massive political awakening. Yes. It was directly inspired by BLM. No.” Rinu added.
