No proof of UN plan to seize power from Nigerian leader Bola Tinubu if protests last beyond 15 days
IN SHORT: A viral WhatsApp message claims the United Nations plans to take over from Nigeria's president if the anti-government protests last more than 15 days. But this is not true and the UN does not take over the governments of sovereign nations.
Nigerians took to the streets on 1 August 2024 for 10 days of protests against the high cost of living, hunger, unemployment and limited access to quality education, among other issues.
Days before, the government appealed to people not to take part in the protests, citing economic and security concerns.
Demonstrations in the south of the country have been largely peaceful. However, there have been reports of violence, looting and destruction of property in some northern states.
In an address to the nation on 4 August, president Bola Tinubu appealed to Nigerians to call off the protests. He assured them that the economy was on the road to recovery.
In this context, a message spread on Whatsapp claims that if the protests continued for 15 days, the United Nations (UN) would take over from Tinubu.
"BREAKING NEWS ; UN will take power from TINUBU if protesters continue the protest for 15 days, it used to be 30days but they're doing Promo at the UN. Way to go guys," the message reads.
The UN is an international organisation with 193 members, including Nigeria. Its primary purpose is to promote peace, security and cooperation among nations.
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There have been events in Nigeria's history where the situation was so grave that international bodies, including the UN, became involved. These include the Biafran war, the Boko Haram insurgency and the #EndSARS protests.
But has the UN made such a statement about the August 2024 protests? We checked.
Context of UN interventions
Under article two (7) of the UN charter, the organisation cannot intervene in matters that are within the domestic jurisdiction of any state, except where mandated by the security council to restore international peace and security.
The UN Security Council can take enforcement measures under chapter 7 of the charter, including sanctions, peacekeeping operations or military intervention, but not taking over the government of a country.
When the UN deploys peacekeeping missions or offers assistance, it requires the host country's consent, as its aim is to protect civilians.
The UN does not have the authority to take over the government of a sovereign nation or remove a sitting president from power.
No evidence
On 19 July, the UN warned that the demonstrations, tagged #EndBadGovernance and #EndBadGovernanceProtests on social media, could be hijacked by people with ulterior motives, citing previous instances.
But our search for evidence that the UN would seize power from Tinubu if the protests continued beyond 15 days turned up nothing.
We checked the official UN website and X account, as well as the official UN Nigeria website and X handle, and found no such statements.
Moreover, it hasn't been reported by the media, though it would be a major newsworthy event if it were true.
