More than 100 Nigerian, African and international human rights organisations have urged the National Assembly to abandon proposed legislations they say could weaken Nigeria’s democratic freedoms and shrink civic space ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The coalition made the appeal in a joint petition released in Abuja by the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, warning that the proposed civic space bills could significantly expand executive powers while restricting fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
According to the organisations, the bills threaten freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, association, media practice, access to information and citizens’ participation in democratic governance.
The coalition expressed concern over what it described as a growing number of restrictive bills currently before the National Assembly. The petition argued that if passed into law, the proposed measures would strengthen government control over civic activities while weakening accountability and the rule of law.
“If enacted, these bills would significantly expand executive control over civic life and further undermine the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, freedom of association, media freedom, access to information, democratic participation and the rule of law,” the petition stated.
The organisations also claimed that Nigeria’s civic environment has come under increasing pressure since May 2023. Among the issues cited were the prosecution of activist Omoyele Sowore, alleged actions against the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), and what they described as the misuse of the Cybercrimes Act against journalists and critics of government.
The coalition further referenced reports by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), which documented incidents involving the arrest, harassment and intimidation of journalists in different parts of the country.
A major focus of the petition was the Foreign Aids (Regulation, Transparency and Disclosure) Bill, 2026 (SB.1034). The groups argued that the bill would establish a Foreign Aid Regulatory Commission (FARC) with extensive powers to regulate, audit, sanction and suspend the operations of non-governmental organisations.
According to the coalition, those responsibilities already fall within the mandates of agencies such as the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering (SCUML). They warned that creating another regulatory body could open the door to excessive government interference in civil society activities.
The coalition also rejected another proposed bill that would require social media companies to establish physical offices in Nigeria or risk being prohibited from operating in the country. According to the organisations, such a requirement could limit access to information, encourage censorship and discourage innovation and investment within Nigeria’s digital economy.
They maintained that both the foreign aid proposal and the social media bill conflict with constitutional protections contained in Sections 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as Nigeria’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). The coalition argued that any restriction on fundamental rights must satisfy the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality.
The organisations urged the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and members of the National Assembly to withdraw SB.1034, the proposed social media office bill and other measures they believe threaten civic freedoms. They also called for broader public consultations before considering any legislation that could affect democratic participation and citizens’ rights.
According to the coalition, lawmakers now face an important decision between strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions or approving laws that could restrict civic engagement. The petition concluded by urging the National Assembly to reject the civic space bills entirely and instead prioritise legislation that promotes transparency, accountability, public participation and constitutional democracy.
