Civil Society Situation Room Warns Nigeria’s Democracy Under Siege

By: Aremu Toyeebaht

The Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room has cautioned that Nigeria’s democracy faces existential threats unless urgent reforms are made to strengthen institutions, restore electoral integrity, and tackle worsening insecurity and economic hardship.

Speaking in Abuja on Monday during activities marking the International Day of Democracy, Celestine Odo, Programme Manager at ActionAid Nigeria, said the country’s democratic journey 26 years after the return to civil rule remains fragile.

“Democracy in Nigeria is under siege. Instead of expanding civic freedoms and participation, we are seeing systemic corruption, harassment of journalists, shrinking civil space, and weakening of electoral institutions,” Odo warned.

The coalition lamented that millions of citizens have grown disillusioned as rising debt, inflation, and a weakened naira continue to deepen poverty, while insecurity—ranging from terrorism to banditry and communal clashes in Plateau, Benue, and Taraba—undermines stability.

On electoral matters, the group acknowledged the ongoing continuous voter registration exercise but expressed concern over “technical glitches, insecurity, and low turnout,” which it said threaten inclusiveness ahead of off-cycle governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti, and Ondo States.

The Situation Room also described the state of emergency declared in Rivers State as “executive overreach and a troubling erosion of democratic norms,” and condemned the continued denial of legislative access to Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, calling it “a direct violation of representation.”

According to Odo, Nigeria must urgently address institutional weaknesses if its democracy is to survive “Nigeria’s democracy stands at a crossroads. Its survival will depend on restoring electoral credibility, tackling economic inequality, and building inclusive governance that truly delivers for citizens.”