Coalition For Democracy Accuses APC Of Shrinking Nigeria’s Democratic Space 

The Coalition for Democracy has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of systematically shrinking Nigeria’s democratic area and creating an electoral atmosphere through which solely the ruling occasion enjoys privileges intentionally denied to the opposition.

The accusation was contained in a communique issued after the assembly of the Central Leadership Committee (CLC) of the opposition events in Abuja on Thursday, November 5, 2026 and signed by Salihu Moh. Lukman on behalf of the Coalition Parties.

The Coalition introduced its choice to formally undertake the identify Coalition for Democracy, changing the previous G100 Coalition, to mirror the frequent dedication of its member events to the defence of constitutional democracy, the rule of regulation and the safety of Nigerians’ basic political rights.

The Coalition for Democracy is the coalition of opposition events shaped after the first Opposition Summit on August 31, 2026 in Abuja.

Rising from its assembly, the CLC mentioned it was alarmed that with barely 72 days to the January 16 elections, the conduct of presidency establishments and safety businesses raises severe questions on whether or not Nigerians might be allowed to freely select their leaders.

The Committee famous that within the final 90 days alone, opposition supporters have been attacked in Kaduna, ambushed in Ibadan and attacked in Sokoto and Cross River. Hotels booked for opposition delegates have cancelled reservations, marketing campaign workplaces have been sealed, and opposition billboards have been pulled down in Edo State whereas these of the ruling occasion stay untouched. In the Federal Capital Territory, opposition entry to out of doors promoting has reportedly been subjected to expenses as excessive as N750 million.

In one significantly disturbing incident, an area authorities chairman reportedly advised residents to vote for the APC or go away their neighborhood.

“The APC is not just trying to win the election. It is trying to decide the conditions under which everybody else must contest it. This is what happens when a ruling party begins to confuse its control of government with ownership of democracy. You cannot be a contestant and insist on writing the rules for your opponents,” the Coalition mentioned.

The CLC expressed even higher concern over the integrity of the voters’ register, noting that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to satisfy the statutory deadline prescribed by Section 19(1) of the Electoral Act 2026.

The Committee mentioned it was alarmed on the discovery of AI-generated pictures within the register, reportedly inserted by INEC’s personal registration officers, and the elimination of greater than 1.27 million information, which have deepened public issues in regards to the Commission’s preparedness and credibility.

The Committee questioned why no official had been publicly recognized or prosecuted over the irregularities and why political events had not been supplied copies of the register for impartial scrutiny.

“The credibility of an election begins long before the first ballot is cast. If INEC cannot account for the names on its register, how can Nigerians trust it to account for the votes in its custody? A compromised register today is a compromised election tomorrow. Nigerians deserve answers, not excuses,” it mentioned.

The Coalition due to this fact demanded that INEC instantly present all registered political events with digital copies of the preliminary voters’ register and subsequently the licensed register. It additionally known as for an impartial forensic audit to be concluded earlier than December 15, with the findings revealed state by state and all culpable officers delivered to justice.

The Central Leadership additional known as on the Inspector-General of Police to ensure equal safety for all lawful political actions, in accordance with Section 83 of the Police Act 2020, and to make public the end result of investigations into assaults on opposition supporters in Oyo, Kaduna and Sokoto states.

It additionally demanded that state governments instantly finish the discriminatory denial of marketing campaign venues, political workplaces and promoting areas, and be sure that all political events function underneath the identical publicly established guidelines.

“We are not asking for privileges. We are demanding the protection of rights that already belong to us under the Constitution. The law cannot be strict when the opposition is involved and suddenly become flexible when the ruling party is concerned. Democracy cannot survive where the law has two faces,” the Coalition mentioned.

The Central Leadership confused that each one the required corrective measures could possibly be applied earlier than January 16, warning that continued inaction would increase official questions in regards to the intentions of the authorities.

“Seventy-two days is enough time to correct these abuses. It is also enough time to establish whether those responsible are interested in a credible election or merely the appearance of one. Nobody should mistake our patience for acceptance. When institutions repeatedly fail in ways that favour the ruling party, Nigerians are entitled to question whether these failures are accidents or a design,” it mentioned.

The Coalition known as on civil society organisations, the media, worldwide companions and all democracy-loving Nigerians to stay vigilant and demand accountability from establishments entrusted with defending the electoral course of.

“Let nobody misunderstand what is at stake. This is not simply about the right of opposition parties to campaign. It is about the right of Nigerians to have a choice. When you prevent the opposition from organising, you are not only attacking political parties; you are denying citizens their democratic rights. An election without genuine competition is not democracy. It is an endorsement ceremony,” it added.