Former Minister of Information, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, says the failure of the political class in the Nigerian government to listen to the agitation of young people was the reason they took to Lekki Toll Gate to vent their anger.

Ezekwesili made the clarification when she appeared on Politics Today, a popular programme on Channels Television on Sunday night.

The #ENDSARS protests lasted between October 7th and 20th in Lagos and several other states of the federation.

While the protests lasted, relations, friends and associates of missing persons claimed their relations had either been killed or held incommunicado by security agents.

Security agents had shot at #ENDSARS protesters at the Lekki toll gate in the ill-fated protest of October 20, 2020, that ended in sorrow, tears and blood.

The shooting incident had attracted national and international outcry, with the Lagos State and Federal governments being urged to unravel the identity of the shooters and who deployed them.

But Ezekwesili opined that the situation would have been averted if the governments at all levels have accorded the youths a listening ear.

While stating that the office of the citizens is the most powerful office in the world, the minister said that the political class acts like a monopoly where the citizens are on the periphery.

She said, “Let’s focus on what happened on October 20, 2020. This was when young people rose to say we are tired and you need to listen to us. They made a statement but they were not listened to.

“Unfortunately, it was mischaracterised differently from what the young people were saying. Sometimes I wonder how things would have been different in this country if those in governance are willing to listen.

“What we have is a monopoly democracy. Now the citizens are realising it and some people are actually mocking the development.”