Democracy In Distress: CHRICED Warns Nigeria Is At A Dangerous Crossroads
As Nigeria edges closer to the 2027 general elections amid rising political tension, economic strain and pervasive insecurity, the Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has issued a stark warning saying the nation’s democracy is in retreat and its citizens are in danger.
At a press conference held on Monday at BON Hotels, Nassarawa GRA, Kano, the Executive Director of CHRICED, Comrade Dr Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, described the moment as a “national call to conscience”, insisting that the country has reached a point of reckoning that demands courage, truth and collective action.
With representatives of Misereor e.V Germany in attendance, Zikirullahi said Nigeria’s political landscape was being distorted by a wave of defections engineered through inducements and bribery, describing it as a coordinated assault on political pluralism.
He expressed concern over allegations that lawmakers pay between ₦1 million and ₦3 million to present motions and bills, noting that the leadership of the National Assembly had failed to address the claims.
He also referenced the recent accusation by Senator Ali Ndume that aides in the Presidential Villa demand bribes before granting access to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying the Presidency’s silence “deepens the perception of a government disconnected from transparency”.
On the economy, the CHRICED boss said the reported drop in inflation and temporary Naira stability had failed to translate into real relief for citizens already battered by rising poverty, fuel subsidy removal, electricity tariff hikes and multiple taxes.
He criticised the federal government’s “reckless borrowing without vision”, warning that Nigeria was “mortgaging the future of generations yet unborn”.
Turning to insecurity, Zikirullahi lamented that Nigerians now live in fear as banditry, kidnapping and terrorism spread across the country.
He cited the kidnapping of six Ministry of Defence directors in Kogi State as evidence of a security system “on the brink of collapse”, urging a complete overhaul of the security architecture.
He painted an equally grim picture of Nigeria’s health sector, which he said was crippled by underfunding, poor implementation of capital budgets, low insurance enrolment and a nationwide doctors’ strike that has left many patients stranded.
Despite the bleak national outlook, CHRICED highlighted its achievements in Kano State, particularly through its advocacy on the Free Maternal and Child Healthcare (FMCH) Law, as proof that targeted civic action can produce tangible results.
The organisation also renewed its longstanding demand for justice for the indigenous people of the Federal Capital Territory, whose ancestral lands were appropriated without adequate compensation or political inclusion.
In his closing remarks, Zikirullahi urged all Nigerians, civil society, journalists, religious leaders, traditional rulers and ordinary citizens, to resist apathy and reclaim the country from corruption and impunity.
“This is not just a political moment, it is a moral reckoning,” he said. “Let us rise in determination and build the Nigeria our children deserve.”
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