Nigeria Descending Into Chaos, 2019 Election In Danger, Situation Room Warns

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has raised the alarm that the country was descending into chaos with the 2019 general elections in danger as the federal government seems unable to arrest the drift.

“The Nigerian nation appears to be descending into chaos before our very eyes and the government’s inability to confront the challenges and provide security for our people is becoming very alarming and frightening,” a statement issued by the coalition of over 70 civil society group said on Wednesday in Abuja.

The group also expressed the fear that the delays in the passage of the amendments to the constitutional and legal framework for the conduct of the 2019 elections by the National Assembly poses grace danger to the election.

“Of particular concern are proposals coming from the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act to alter the timetable for the 2019 elections already announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The proposal by the National Assembly to alter the Order of Elections already set by INEC is an unwarranted interference in the Constitutional powers of INEC to determine the conduct of elections and interferes with the powers of INEC to carry out its electoral duties without directives or control from any person or authority, using the instrumentality of legislation.”

The statement also noted that “across Nigeria the levels of insecurity, kidnappings, killings and unrestrained crime pervades. Yet, the security agencies have exhibited unparalleled incapacity and incompetence to deal with the problem.

“Citizens are seriously losing faith in the ability of security agencies to protect their lives and secure their properties. Never before has the effectiveness and competence of our security agencies been questioned this much as we have today.

“Besides the incapacity and incompetence of the security services, is the other major concern that the security services have failed to apply evenness, balance or fairness in the manner in which they carry out their work.”

The Situation Room said there was growing and unabated levels of; violations of human rights of citizens by security and other agencies of government; violations of Rule of Law and due process by agencies of government; increasing levels of unemployment; poor performance of the economy; and general poor performance and high incompetence among appointed public officials.

It called on “President Buhari to live up to his responsibility of securing lives and property of Nigerians, revamp the national security apparatus, including reconstituting the leadership of the security agencies to reflect the diversity and national character of the country and ensuring that persons who head the security services have a clear understanding of modern security operations.”