BEING THE COMMUNIQUÉ OF THE JOINT CONSULTATIVE FORUM OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS (CSOs) AND OPPOSITION POLITICAL ACTORS UNDER THE AUSPICES OF PAN-NIGERIA CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS AND OPPOSITION ALLIANCE( PANCSOA) ISSUED THIS 20TH DAY OF APRIL, 2026.
PREAMBLE
Following an intensive one-day strategic stakeholders’ deliberation held in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, representatives from a broad coalition of Civil Society Organizations and a bloc of Opposition Politicians met to review the current socio-political landscape and the trajectory of our nation ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
RESOLUTIONS
After exhaustive debate, data-driven assessments of the current administration’s performance, and a sober analysis of national stability, the Coalition has reached the following resolutions:
1. PANCSOA condemns the resurgence of politically motivated violence in the country which studies have revealed normally escalates when elections are approaching in the country. This has become noticeable during most of our past elections but became a dangerous pattern since the 2015 general elections. Terrorism and banditry in Nigeria seem to have a great dosage of political underpinning which, for the most part, is being engineered by politicians desperate for power and external multinational interests hellbent on destroying Nigeria in order to steal its humongous natural resources as they are doing in the other parts of Africa, especially the Congo. These are satanic enemies of Nigeria that must be eliminated at all costs.
2. The deliberation recognized that defeating terrorism and banditry cannot be left to the government or the military alone alone and called for the mass involvement of all citizens to support our military in cash and kind. We call on our wealthy business men and women to establish a foundation to care for our military personnel injured in battles, widows and widowers of our gallant troups who have paid the supreme price while fighting to defend the country. We call for immediate action to always take place on active and credible intelligence either by the relevant intelligence agencies or the people acting on their observations. Failure to do this contributes immensely to surprise attacks and the unnecessary loss of lives and property. Nigeria can and will defeat terror, but we must all play our own parts as citizens interested in the peace and progress of Nigeria.
3. One of the best things to have happened in the current dispensation is the birthing of a coalition.
As activists and opposition actors, we believe that every democracy deserves a vibrant opposition. In fact, a vibrant opposition is what grants legitimacy to any democracy. We have noticed the increase in the activities of the opposition actors in recent times, especially by those in the coalition. But it is unfortunate that the opposition in Nigeria is not organic in nature as many political Parties are not members of the coalition to speak with one voice. This does not paint a picture of a wide coalition of political Parties. Some political Parties are doing their own things on different levels whilst the coalition is also doing its own thing. We have noticed a pattern of self-decimation by the ambitions of many presidential aspirants rather than pooling resources to support one popular and acceptable candidate. Recently we have noticed increasing internal bickerings among the supporters of different presidential aspirants within the coalition.
The biggest error the opposition is currently making is the avoidance of zoning its presidential slot to the South as it should be. This is already creating doubts in the minds of their supporters as not to repeat the unfortunate incident that befell the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in 2022 that led to its destructive internal crises by those dissatisfied with the outcome of the convention due to throwing open the presidential contest instead of applying the zoning formula in its own constitution. It seems the current coalition is also making the same mistake. This has expressly opened the way for the incumbent administration to win seamlessly in 2027 in view of the formidable strategies and mass structural reach of their political networks. We are not the ones saying so, it is the outcome of a data-driven analysis.
4. The Coalition has demonstrated its lack of foresight in that it failed woefully to preempt most of the crises bedeviling it currently. Assuming without conceding that external forces are instigating its crisis, it is no rocket science to have prepared adequately for those and take adequate preemptive steps to tackle it. Most of those in the leadership of the coalition are vastly experienced politicians who should have understood the game and strengthened the coalition against all these avoidable crises. Opposing individual ambitions, lack of foresight, lack of capacity for grassroots mass mobilisation, and the inability to communicate clear policy alternatives to the public are a big albatross for the opposition to surmount before the general elections.
5. While acknowledging that the country still faces serious challenges in the areas of security, economy, and ethno-religious divisions, the Forum states that Nigerians may have no choice than to return the incumbent in the face of a coalition that seems confused and unorganized.
6. Finally, the Forum resolved that at the end of our current national consultative engagements, it will unveil its preferred candidates at its upcoming national convention involving over 500 different political, civil society, and Faith-based organizations collaborating to campaign nationwide. In our consideration, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is our top focus now.
Sgd:
Comrade Mohammed Abdulrazaq Sanni: Facilitator
Fatima Abbas: Executive Director, Northern Female Education Campaign, NOFEC.
Barr. Igwe Benjamin, Member Steering Committee of the Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP.
Comrade Mark Adebayo, President, Federation of Political Parties and Associations, FEPPA (Comprising of former national chairmen and presidential candidates)
Mr. Victor Terhember, Program Officer , SecureWorld and Liberty Initiative for Peace, SELIP
Danesi Momoh Prince, Deputy National Chairman, Zero Corruption Agenda, ZECA.
Tosin Olorunfemi Ag. National Chairman, Committee for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption, CHRA.
Mr. Olaosebikan Aina; The Common Man’s Movement of Nigeria, COMAN.
Mr. Johnson Michael, Genzees Collective Assurance for Tinubu, GECAT.
Mr. Igwe Ude-umanta: National Vice Chairman, Campaign Against Corruption and Religious Violence, CACREV.
Orogbemi Titilayo: Executive Director, Gender Protection Project, GPP. (an NGO)
Shuaibu Abdulkadir: Head of Northern Operations, Movement for the Actualization of Tinubu’s Second Term, MATSET.
Chief Chijioke: Chairman, Handshake Across The Niger Elders’ Forum, HANEF.
Chief Taiwo Akindolu: Coalition of Civil Society Organisations, COCSO.
Mrs. Fidelia Michel: Chairperson, Electoral Integrity Initiative, EII.
Rev. Nicholas Noble Yakubu: Chairman, Christian-Muslim Inter-Faith Cooperation Group, CMIFOG.
. Olufemi Lawson, National Secretary Campaign for Democracy, CD.
. Elder Michael Omohimua: National Chairman, Association of Former Councilors and Ward Leaders in Nigeria
. Hon Frank Ukonga, National Chairperson, Democratic Alternative, DA
