By Stellamaries Amuwa, Abuja
The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) has expressed deep concerns over the country’s democratic backsliding as Nigeria marks 26 years of continuous democratic governance,
According to a press release by the Executive Director, CISLAC, Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, he lamented the collapse of accountable governance under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s watch.
Rafsanjani noted that Nigeria’s democratic institutions are at their weakest points, consistently failing the people, while authoritarian tendencies continue to rise.
He has 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.
Rafsanjani stated that political parties lack ideology and discipline, functioning merely as platforms for elite bargains and transactional personal gains. CISLAC stresses the urgent need for electoral and political party reforms to restore public trust in Nigeria’s democratic processes.
The organization calls for comprehensive reforms to ensure free, fair, and credible elections.While anti-corruption efforts at the federal level are frequently touted, CISLAC is deeply troubled by pervasive and largely unchecked corruption at the state level, emphasizing the need to decentralize anti-corruption efforts and empower state-level institutions to function independently.
“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.
The statement added that “Despite repeated promises, insecurity continues unabated, with citizens not safe and the government yet to present a coherent national security strategy. CISLAC advocates for a people-centred security approach, prioritizing civilian protection and addressing long-standing causes of conflict.
“CISLAC is alarmed by continued economic hardship facing millions of Nigerians, despite government claims of saving trillions of naira from fuel subsidy removal”. The organization notes that the so-called savings have not translated into tangible relief for ordinary Nigerians. “CISLAC condemns the continued clampdowns on civic voices, peaceful protesters, journalists, activists, and civil society organizations working on human rights and anti-corruption. As Nigeria celebrates another Democracy Day, CISLAC stressed the need for concrete, deliberate, and far-reaching reforms to rescue the country’s democratic project.”
