By Perpetua Onuegbu

The Situation Room, a coalition of more than 80 civil society organisations has called for fair political competition, institutional independence and the protection of citizens’ democratic rights ahead of the 2027 general elections,

The Co-Convener, Mr Celestine Odo, made the call while briefing newsmen in Abuja on Thursday.

Odo expressed concern over current developments in Nigeria’s political space and their implications for the integrity of the upcoming polls.

He noted that recent political realignments, internal party disputes and security challenges held serious consequences for the 2027 general elections.

He said that the pre-election period was critical for ensuring credible voting and votes collation processes.

“The political environment is marked by significant instability, security challenges, economic hardships and rising public concern over the responsiveness and accountability of democratic institutions.

“While acknowledging the constitutional right of political actors to associate and seek office, the Situation Room stresses that competitive elections require a free environment.

“This is an environment where citizens can express preferences, candidates can compete fairly and institutions enforce laws impartially,” Odo said.

To safeguard the 2027 general elections, the co-converner highlighted critical areas requiring urgent attention, namely political party developments, shrinking space for competition, inflammatory political rhetoric and election-related insecurity.

Other areas, he said, were the 2026 Electoral Act, safeguards for transparent results management, Independent Electoral Commission’s independence and operational preparedness, as well as the abuse of incumbency and public resources.

He equally identified judicial decisions, election dispute resolution, disinformation, artificial intelligence, information integrity, citizen participation, inclusion and voter confidence as vital focus areas.

Odo further raised concerns over threats to the electoral process, including misinformation, manipulated media and challenges to institutional credibility.

He highlighted issues surrounding voter access, vote buying, abuse of public resources, security and the necessity of inclusive participation, particularly for marginalised groups.

According to him, the 2027 general elections present an important opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions and restore public confidence in electoral governance.

“However, credible elections cannot emerge from an environment in which political competition is restricted, insecurity discourages participation, public resources are misused, or electoral procedures lack transparency.

“The responsibility for protecting democracy rests with all stakeholders, but public institutions have a particular obligation to uphold the constitution, enforce electoral laws and protect citizens’ democratic rights.

“We call on political leaders to demonstrate restraint, institutions to uphold their responsibilities and citizens to remain committed to peaceful democratic participation and accountability.”

He stressed that Nigeria deserves elections in which every eligible citizen participates freely, every candidate competes fairly, and every valid vote counted accurately. (NAN)

Edited by Philip Yatai