"Nigeria's Democracy at Risk: CISLAC Calls for Comprehensive Reforms"

By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna

As Nigeria marks 26 years of continuous democratic governance, the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has expressed deep concerns over the country's democratic backsliding. In a statement released today, CISLAC's Executive Director, Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, lamented the collapse of accountable governance under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's watch.

"Nigeria's democratic institutions are at their weakest points, consistently failing the people, while authoritarian tendencies continue to rise," Rafsanjani said. He attributed this to failure of leadership, erosion of public trust, rising corruption, impunity, compromised electoral processes, and shrinking civic space.

CISLAC is concerned over Nigeria's deteriorating electoral credibility, citing elections marked by violence, voter suppression, vote buying, and judicial interference in electoral outcomes. "Political parties lack ideology and discipline, functioning merely as platforms for elite bargains and transactional personal gains," Rafsanjani noted.

The organization stresses the urgent need for electoral and political party reforms to restore public trust in Nigeria's democratic processes. "We call for comprehensive reforms to ensure free, fair, and credible elections," Rafsanjani emphasized.

CISLAC also expressed concerns over pervasive and largely unchecked corruption at the state level, despite anti-corruption efforts at the federal level. "There is a need to decentralize anti-corruption efforts and empower state-level institutions to function independently," Rafsanjani said.

The judiciary is also under pressure, with delays in access to justice, conflicting court judgments, and perceived political interference undermining the rule of law. CISLAC calls for comprehensive judicial reform to ensure timely, impartial justice and uphold the supremacy of the rule of law.

Furthermore, CISLAC condemned the continued clampdowns on civic voices, peaceful protesters, journalists, activists, and civil society organizations working on human rights and anti-corruption. "This shrinking civic space is incompatible with any credible democratic system," Rafsanjani emphasized.

As Nigeria celebrates another Democracy Day, CISLAC stressed the need for concrete, deliberate, and far-reaching reforms to rescue the country's democratic project. "Democracy is more than elections; it must demonstrate good governance, strong institutions, protection of rights, and active civic participation," Rafsanjani concluded.

The organization urges the government to prioritize the welfare of Nigerians and uphold democratic values. The Nigerian government must take immediate action to address the concerns raised by CISLAC. The country's democratic future depends on it.