Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to deliver long-promised democratic dividends to Nigerians amid deepening frustration over grinding poverty, chronic insecurity and bad governance.
The advocacy group made the call in a statement marking the 32nd commemoration of the June 12, 1993, election and the 26th anniversary of uninterrupted civilian rule in Nigeria.
CAPPA noted that despite quadrennial elections since 1999 and some incremental gains, the country has yet to translate its electoral exercises into real progress that lifts citizens out of destitution and sparks hope.
The organisation argued that public institutions have fumbled stewardship of collective resources and left basic services in tatters, consequently widening the trust gap between government and the governed.
“Social and economic poverty has become pervasive. If anything, the surge of youth-led protests across the country in recent times, especially against bad governance, reflects just how much Nigerians are teetering on the brink of survival,” the statement observed.
CAPPA highlighted that essential services such as public water, shelter, education, healthcare, and electricity remain inaccessible to many, while ill-conceived privatisation drives have pushed costs beyond the reach of ordinary citizens.
Akinbode Oluwafemi, the Executive Director of CAPPA, revealed alarming poverty statistics, stating that nearly 130 million Nigerians lived below the poverty line in 2024, with another 13 million reportedly set to join them amid the current cost-of-living crisis.
“Our national circumstances are an outrage for a country blessed with abundant mineral resources, fertile land, and human talent,” Oluwafemi said.
The organisation warned that Nigeria’s key institutions and basic freedoms are under siege, noting that anti-corruption agencies, the legislature, and judiciary continue to wobble under political pressure with their independence compromised by back-room appointments and political interference.
CAPPA condemned what it described as increasing actions by state governments to use court orders to gag free speech and force peaceful protests into designated centres, describing the trend as an unsettling tactic adopted by Lagos, Ogun states, and the Federal Capital Territory.
The group insisted that activists, journalists, students, unionists, and citizens must enjoy unfettered freedom of expression, warning that any violence against them for exercising constitutional rights constitutes a flagrant assault on democracy.
CAPPA demanded the withdrawal of terrorism charges against young Nigerians arrested during the August 2024 EndBadGovernance protests and urged the restoration of open, meaningful spaces for civic engagement.
“Democracy is the lived right to speak, assemble, and hold power to account every single day,” CAPPA emphasised.
Looking ahead to the 2027 elections, the organisation warned that Nigeria’s electoral environment remains plagued by partisan meddling and welcomed proposals before the National Assembly to amend the 1999 Constitution or the Electoral Act 2022.
CAPPA called these proposals vital opportunities for lawmakers, the Presidency, and democracy advocates to insulate the Independent National Electoral Commission from political capture and empower genuine citizen participation.
The group supported enhancing INEC’s autonomy and backed demands to remove the Presidency’s power to appoint electoral commissioners, noting that this safeguard is essential to protect the commission from political manipulation.
CAPPA highlighted that the impending end of the current INEC leadership’s tenure in November 2025 offers a window for selecting a successor through an open, merit-based democratic process free of partisan influence.
“Failure to act risks electoral cycles rigged from the outset,” the statement warned.
CAPPA urged the National Assembly to conclude constitutional and electoral reform deliberations in 2025 to avoid a last-minute rush, appealing to lawmakers to ensure final reforms institutionalise public accountability and participatory governance.
The organisation called on President Tinubu and lawmakers to guarantee conditions that enable eligible voters at home and abroad to cast their ballots unhindered by logistical or structural failures.
CAPPA also demanded resolution of ambiguities in result-transmission modalities in the current electoral act and upheld real-time electronic transmission of results to bolster transparency and trust in elections.
The statement reflects growing concerns about Nigeria’s democratic trajectory as the country continues to grapple with governance challenges despite over two decades of civilian rule.