By Perpetua Onuegbu
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room on Monday cautioned that the country’s democracy remains fragile, as the world marked the 2025 International Day of Democracy.
The day was commemorated under the United Nations theme, “From Voice to Action”, in Abuja.
In a statement signed by its Convener, Mr Yunusa Ya’u, and read by Mr Celestine Okwudili, Head of Programmes at ActionAid, the Situation Room said Nigeria must do more to translate citizens’ voices into meaningful political participation.
Ya’u noted that while Nigeria, which clocked 26 years of uninterrupted civil rule in 2025, had made progress since 1999, persistent weaknesses remained.
“In a July 2025 report, the Situation Room observed that democracy in the country is still marked by institutional fragility, electoral distrust, and public disillusionment, worsened by corruption, poor leadership, and erosion of values.
“There have been attempts to weaken the opposition and undermine the electoral process through infiltration of parties, harassment of journalists, and pressure on civil society.
“The declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State amounts to executive overreach and a threat to constitutional order,” he said.
On the economy, Ya’u said reforms such as fuel subsidy removal and fiscal restructuring had increased government revenues, but citizens continued to grapple with inflation, a weak currency, debt, and poverty.
“The strong link between democracy and poverty cannot be ignored,” he said.
The Situation Room also identified insecurity as a major obstacle, citing terrorism, banditry, and communal clashes in the North-East and Middle Belt.
He said ethnic and resource-based conflicts in Plateau, Benue, and Taraba had claimed thousands of lives and displaced many, stressing the need for improved intelligence, better military coordination, and stronger community engagement.
On elections, Ya’u criticised the 2023 general elections for logistical failures, voter suppression, and lack of transparency.
He, however, welcomed the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which had recorded over 3.5 million new registrations.
He warned that it faced challenges such as technical glitches, low turnout in some regions, and allegations of politicisation.
The Situation Room therefore recommended expanding registration centres, deploying mobile units to rural and insecure areas, resolving portal failures, and ensuring the safety of registrants.
Ya’u also condemned the Senate’s refusal to allow Senator Natasha Akpoti to resume legislative duties, calling it a denial of representation to her constituents.
“Endurance of civil rule is commendable, but corruption, insecurity, and governance deficits threaten consolidation,” he said.
He urged the National Assembly to pass pending electoral reforms and called on INEC to ensure free and credible off-cycle governorship elections ahead of 2027.
“As Nigeria looks beyond 2025, bridging the gap between reform and inclusion is critical.
“From rhetoric, we must move to action in deepening accountability, rebuilding trust, and fostering civic engagement,” he said.
Responding to questions on the state of emergency in Rivers, Ene Obi, Immediate Past Convener of the Situation Room, said the action must be condemned in totality.
She argued that even if the state would eventually return to democratic governance, the fact remained that the President had introduced military rule into a democracy.
“As we look forward to the transfer of power to Governor Fubara, we strongly believe that the action taken by the Federal Government was not warranted.
“We must get to a point in our democracy where citizens speak up when things go wrong. Every Nigerian must take responsibility and speak out,” she said.
On her part, Mma Odi, General Secretary, Alliance for Credible Elections, said the Sole Administrator in Rivers must give account of how he spent the state budget.
She added that even if another election was conducted and the suspended governor regained control, accountability on the use of state resources remained necessary.
Odi also called for the return of fuel subsidy to relieve citizens of the prevailing economic hardship. (NAN)