A coalition of more than 80 human rights organizations operating under the auspices of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room expressed their dissatisfaction on Tuesday with the state of Nigeria during the first and second quarters of the year and with the deteriorating security situation there.
Because it was clear that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret. ), had failed the nation, the organization encouraged him to act quickly or resign.
In a news conference on the state of the country, the NCSSR’s convener, Ene Obi, and co-convener, James Ugochukwu, made these statements.
Beyond threatening to remove the President from office, the activists urged the National Assembly to step up its monitoring of the Executive and demonstrate that they are the people’s representatives by defending and advancing their interests.
The organization requested that the Senate conduct “a thorough background check and scrutiny of the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners nominated by President Muhammadu Buhari, to allay any political party affiliation or alignment by any of the nominees” in the conference text that Obi read aloud at the meeting.
Obi said, “A few months ago, Situation Room, on May 12 2022, raised the alarm on the rising level of insecurity in the country, the level of transparency and accountability in the electoral process, among other concerns. It is rather disheartening that two months later, the State of the Nation has further depreciated thereby raising questions about the leadership of the country.”
The attacks on the Kuje detention facility, the economy, the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ strike, and the 2023 elections were other issues brought up in the Situation Room.
As there is still time to do so in compliance with the Electoral Act of 2022, the group then requested that the Independent National Electoral Commission extend the voter registration process by an additional two months to accommodate more potential voters.
The CSOs urged Buhari to take charge of the country’s affairs in the areas of security and economic recovery, which will restore citizens’ faith in government by demonstrating his competence to lead Nigeria or call an honorable resignation if the obstacles become too great.
Situation Room further urged Nigerians to hold their state governors accountable for their actions—or lack thereof—with relation to the state of the country.