Civil society leaders and human rights advocates on Wednesday warned that Nigeria risks deeper democratic decline if citizens limit their participation to protests and online activism without sustained engagement in governance and accountability. They argued that democratic participation must extend beyond election cycles to include policy advocacy, legislative engagement, civic education, and long-term community organizing.
Call for Sustained Engagement
The call was made at a joint intergenerational civil society meeting on democratic resilience, civic participation, and strategic coordination ahead of the 2027 general elections. The event was organized by Hope Behind Bars Africa and Accountability Lab Nigeria in Abuja on Wednesday.
The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Tony Ojukwu, represented by Halilu Adamu, Director of Civil and Political Rights at NHRC, anchored the discussion on constitutional participation and democratic accountability. He argued that the Nigerian Constitution places citizens at the center of governance and guarantees their participation in public affairs.
“Democratic governance is not merely about periodic elections. It is about the continuous engagement of citizens in public affairs, policy formulation, decision-making processes, and accountability mechanisms,” he said, adding, “The Constitution does not envision a citizen who appears only on election day.”
He cited Sections 14(2)(a) and 14(2)(c) of the Constitution, which state that sovereignty belongs to the people and require citizen participation in governance. He also defended civic freedoms as constitutional rights essential to democracy.
“Civic freedoms are not privileges granted at the discretion of the State. They are constitutional guarantees essential to democratic participation,” he said.
He declared that the future of Nigeria’s democracy will not be determined by institutions alone but also by the extent to which citizens are empowered to engage, contribute, and participate in shaping decisions that affect their lives. Ojukwu also linked democratic participation to transparency and access to information.
“Citizens cannot meaningfully participate in governance without access to information,” he said, urging citizens to remain engaged before, during, and after elections through dialogue, voter education, peaceful participation, and public accountability.
Need for Civic Participation Ahead of 2027
During a panel discussion, Solape Sounga, Director of the Legislative Mentorship Initiative; Dayo Aiyetan, Executive Director of the International Centre for Investigative Reporting; Elizabeth Agbiti-Douglas, Director of NYFF; and Grace Jerry, Executive Director of Inclusive Friends, represented by Molly Joshua, all agreed that Nigeria’s civic space faces growing pressure ahead of the 2027 elections.
They identified distrust in public officials and political parties, voter apathy, insecurity, electoral manipulation fears, and concerns over the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as factors that could discourage participation. Insecurity and violence remain key barriers to participation and voter turnout, while intimidation, surveillance, electoral violence, misinformation, and misuse of personal data continue to threaten civic participation.
However, they explained that citizens must reclaim democratic power through active engagement. Past youth mobilization efforts such as #EndSARS and other civic protests had shaped public discourse and policy attention. Yet protest alone cannot drive democratic change without sustained engagement in policy processes, legislation, and accountability institutions, as many participants in such protests do not possess Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), according to the panelists.
They urged civil society actors to adopt more strategic approaches to civic engagement and organizing, since voting remains central to democratic accountability. Political actors respond to the strength of voter participation, they noted, and where citizens turn out in large numbers, electoral manipulation becomes more difficult.
The panelists called on Nigerians to obtain their PVCs ahead of the next electoral cycle and encouraged individual verification of online misinformation. They urged youths and citizens to focus on positions down to the grassroots level, not just presidential candidates. They also called for broader participation from rural communities, women, persons with disabilities, and other marginalized groups.
Participants’ Views
A participant, David Calistus, Executive Director of Lightway Aid Initiative, told Premium Times that the key takeaway from the event was the understanding of the need for citizens to obtain their PVCs and participate in the 2027 elections. He added that civic responsibility requires citizens to move from awareness to action and described voter registration as a civic duty that gives citizens the power to influence leadership choices. He warned that failure to participate would weaken accountability and worsen governance outcomes, leading to “bad leadership, inconsistent governance.”
Another participant, Chidera Nwokike, a lawyer, said the conversation helped her rethink civic responsibility beyond national elections, adding that governance at local and state levels also remains critical. She said the meeting helped her decide to vote in 2027.
Also speaking with Premium Times, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Dim Munachimso, urged Nigerians to obtain their PVCs and participate in the 2027 elections, “since votes remain decisive in shaping leadership outcomes.”
