ActionAid Tasks Federal Government On Rule Of Law

ActionAid Nigeria has charged the Federal Government to fortify antiauthoritarian institutions, uphold the regularisation of law, and reverse the ongoing diminution successful accountability and governance.

In a connection to people the International Day of Democracy, connected Monday successful Abuja, Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Dr. Andrew Mamedu said the time serves arsenic a almighty reminder that ideology indispensable spell beyond rhetoric and beryllium reflected successful tangible actions that amended the lives of citizens.

“Our ideology is astatine a captious juncture,” Mamedu stated. “While we person enjoyed implicit 25 years of uninterrupted civilian rule, for galore Nigerians, the committedness of democracy—good governance, credible elections, and accountability—remains an illusion.”

Citing the 2025 Chandler Good Government Index, which ranked Nigeria 116th retired of 120 countries, and the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance, which placed Nigeria 33rd retired of 54 nations, ActionAid described these rankings arsenic “a damning indictment of a failing system.”

Mamedu attributed these failures to mediocre enactment and a increasing spot deficit, noting that precocious unemployment and rising poorness scale person further compounded the country’s antiauthoritarian decline.

Addressing the ongoing governmental situation successful Rivers State, Mamedu described the caller declaration of a authorities of exigency arsenic a unsafe overreach by the national government.

“When a authorities of exigency is utilized arsenic a instrumentality for governmental score-settling and lawmakers are barred from carrying retired their law duties, it signals that ideology is nether attack,” helium said.

He warned that specified actions not lone undermine federalism but besides endanger the sanctity of the ballot container and the rights of citizens who democratically elected their leaders.

ActionAid besides condemned the continued suspension of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan from the National Assembly, contempt a tribunal ruling ordering her reinstatement.

“The refusal to obey a tribunal bid and let Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan to resume her duties is legislative impunity astatine its worst. It disenfranchises the full Kogi Central Senatorial District,” Mamedu said.

He emphasised that specified defiance sets a unsafe precedent, allowing governmental institutions to run with impunity, unchecked by the judiciary oregon the regularisation of law.

Drawing parallels with planetary movements, Mamedu cited the Gen Z-led protests successful Nepal, wherever young radical utilized integer platforms similar TikTok and Telegram to request accountability and antiauthoritarian reforms.

The protests led to the resignation of Nepal’s Prime Minister, showcasing the transformative powerfulness of younker activism.

“Nigeria’s younker merit the aforesaid abstraction to pb change,” helium said. “They are not conscionable aboriginal leaders—they are today’s changemakers, and their voices indispensable signifier the aboriginal of our democracy.”

In bid to reconstruct nationalist spot and reenforce antiauthoritarian governance, ActionAid Nigeria demands “ismmediate reinstatement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, successful compliance with the Federal High Court ruling.

“Reversal of enforcement overreach successful Rivers State and afloat respect for federalism and antiauthoritarian norms.

“Swift transition of electoral betterment legislation, including provisions for physics transmission of results.

“Judicial courageousness and ratio successful deciding law matters of nationalist importance—particularly the legality of exigency declarations by the presidency.

“A renewed nationalist committedness to accountability, transparency, and national engagement astatine each levels of governance,” Mamedu said.

The assemblage further called connected the Presidency, the National Assembly, the Judiciary, and each Nigerian to basal for democracy. “The clip for enactment is now,” he said.