As the nationwide protest entered its second day on Friday, it was gathered that some state governors have been put under observation by some of the security and intelligence agencies following what was regarded as their suspiciously lackadaisical approach to managing the protests in their states.

The governors under watch, Saturday Sun gathered, are predominantly from the opposition parties with one or two in the ruling party.

Security sources informed that the governors did not do much to ensure that the protest never took place in states over what was believed to be their grievances caused by recent fallouts with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

It was gathered that some of the governors did not take measures to stop the protest because they are unhappy with the Federal Government following the recent Supreme Court judgment granting full autonomy to the 774 Local Governments in Nigeria.

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), had in May instituted a suit on behalf of the Federal Government, before the Supreme Court, against the 36 state governors in the country while seeking full autonomy for local governments.

The Supreme Court in July ruled on the matter, granting full financial autonomy to the 774 local governments.

Sources familiar with the development told Saturday Sun that the governors became persons of interest following what is regarded as their considerable apathy towards discouraging citizens in their states from participating in the nationwide protests, which started in the country on Thursday.

Some of the Northern governors were said to have been particularly angered over the recent Supreme Court judgment and decided not to dissuade organisers of the protests.

It was gathered that the financial autonomy granted local governments would have far-reaching implications for the finances of many states.

It was also learnt that some stakeholders in the Tinubu administration were not pleased that protesters had a field day in some of these states without any major attempt by the governors to stop or curtail their activities.

A source said: “Look at some of the states, especially in the South, and some in the North, including states ruled by opposition governors. The protests were well managed and there were little or no incidents. Some states didn’t even record any protests at all. But these things didn’t just happen. You had the governors and other stakeholders making effort to engage the youths and different groups and at different levels on the need to protest peacefully or not to protest at all.

“Unfortunately, you had some governors refusing to engage organisers of the protests, in an attempt to heap all the blame over Nigeria’s woes on the federal government. Meanwhile, nobody is asking them what they have been doing with the increased revenue that has been accruing to the different states since the removal of fuel subsidy.

“That is why some of these governors are on the radar at the moment. Their activities are being observed to know the level of their involvement in the protests.”

The security sources admitted that nothing major could be done against the governors, as they are protected from any prosecution or arrest by the constitution, except the reduction of their access to the Presidency.

The security sources said as soon as they got wind of the moves, the various heads of the security agencies redoubled the number of security agents in such states to resist any plans to cause a breakdown of law and order.

According to the source, “we were able to identify some governors who indirectly supported leaders of the protest groups. We know the governors and they know that we’re aware.

“There is nothing that can be done to them. However, their access to the Presidency could be curtailed to show them they have fallen out of favour.” (Saturday Sun)

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