A coalition of major civil society organisations in Nigeria has rejected the recent Open Society Barometer report revealing that 30% of young Nigerians “consider military rule a viable alternative.”
They, however, demanded thorough electoral reforms by the National Assembly and other stakeholders ahead of 2027 general elections.
The CSOs include the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), and the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA).
Addressing a press conference Friday in Abuja, as a follow up to the recent two-day National Conference on strengthening democracy, the advocacy lead, Strengthening Democracy in Nigeria Project, Ezenwa Nwagwu, called on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration to revisit Justice Mohammed Uwais Report and implement long-term electoral reforms.
He said, “The recent Open Society Barometer report revealing that 30% of young Nigerians consider military rule a viable alternative is a warning we cannot ignore. But we know that military rule is not an alternative and we will never support military intervention in our political process.
Ezenwa said the CSOs would continue to “empower Nigerians to demand accountability, resist vote-buying, and actively participate in governance processes,” adding that the groups had resolved to design programmes to ensure mandate protection.
“We demand that security agencies remain neutral in electoral matters and that electoral offenders are prosecuted to serve as deterrents against political violence and malpractice.
“We will collaborate with international partners, the private sector, and government institutions to mobilise resources that will sustain our advocacy, training programmes, and governance monitoring initiatives.
“To the government, political parties, and institutions, we remind you that power is a trust bestowed upon you by the people. We demand that this trust be honored with integrity, responsibility, and commitment to democratic values.”
