Journalists, others bear the scars of repression under President Tinubu- grou
Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and the touchstone of all the freedoms” – Kofi Annan
The half way mark of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is a fair point to assess his impact on participatory governance and Nigeria’s civic space as a critical component of democracy especially considering that he was elected riding on the history of his participation in the same civic space to resist draconian governance and insist on accountability.
Contrary to the demand by the Nigerian people for greater respect for their constitutional rights to participate in their own governance, the past two years have been marked by an assault on Nigeria’s civic space. The CIVICUS Monitor, a global tracker of civic freedoms, ranks Nigeria’s civic space as Repressed, scoring it a mere 31 out of 100, a rating unchanged since 2023 and shared by only four other African nations. This damning assessment lays bare a grim reality: the rights to free speech, assembly, and association are under relentless attack.
From courtrooms where starving youths collapse to polling units marred by violence and vote-buying, the Tinubu administration has met cries for better governance with tear gas and handcuffs. Journalists face detention for exposing corruption, protesters are met with bullets, and civil society organizations battle suffocating regulations, all while the 1999 Constitution’s guarantees of these freedoms are trampled.
In April 2025, the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission tried to silence Eedris Abdulkareem’s song Tell Your Papa, a raw, defiant anthem against an administration that has left millions struggling to afford a single meal. That song was not just music, it was the voice of a nation crushed by soaring prices and silenced by censorship. The government’s response, banning a song rather than addressing the pain it expressed, reveals a sad truth: under Tinubu’s watch, Nigeria’s civic space is shrinking, and its democratic spirit is under siege.
The disillusionment of the polity is further aggravated by economic policies that have driven average Nigerians to financial ruin and despair, defying Section 17(2)(c) of the Nigerian Constitution. By May 2025, inflation had soared to 33.2 percent, with food prices spiking at 40.7 percent, the National Bureau of Statistics reports. The World Food Programme warns that over 33 million Nigerians face acute food insecurity. The removal of fuel and electricity subsidies has turned survival into a daily battle, and when Nigerians take to the streets, they face brutal repression. The #EndBadGovernance protests of August 2024, sparked by this desperation, and according to Nigeria Mourns, security forces killed at least 31 people and detained over 1200, many charged with treasonable felony for daring to march.
This repression reached a devastating climax on November 1, 2024, at the Federal High Court in Abuja. Among the 114 protesters arraigned for their role in the #EndBadGovernance protests were 32 minors, some as young as 14, their faces gaunt from months of maltreatment and starvation. As the judge read charges of treason, a crime punishable by death, five of these youths collapsed, their bodies giving way to starvation. Videos of this tragedy sparked nationwide outrage, forcing President Tinubu to order the minors’ release. However, this was not before the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, dismissed their suffering as scripted, a cruel denial that only deepened the wound. These were not actors, they were Nigeria’s children, punished for demanding a future where they aspire and thrive.
Journalists also bear the scars of repression. The Cybercrimes Act’s vague cyberstalking clause has become a tool to silence critics, defying the Constitution’s guarantee of press freedom. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, over 87 press freedom violations have been documented in Nigeria since May 2023, with several reporters like Daniel Ojukwu detained for weeks for exposing corruption. Civil society organizations are also embattled, choked by the Companies and Allied Matters Act of 2020, which empowers the Corporate Affairs Commission to suspend or merge nonprofits, infringing on their constitutional right of freedom of association. The Financial Reporting Council’s proposed not-for-profit governance code adds more bureaucratic shackles, with 63 percent of nonprofits reporting increased scrutiny according to research conducted by Spaces for Change. In spite of these constraints, these organizations remained a beacon of resistance against the nightmarish Counter-Subversion Bill pushed by the Speaker of the House, which threatened to criminalize dissent under vague and subjective provisions.
The political landscape offers little hope, largely due to the absence of a strong, principled opposition offering a contrasting vision. Sub-national gubernatorial elections since May 29, 2023, in Kogi, Imo, Edo and Ondo have been marred by irregularities. The Independent National Electoral Commission reported voter turnout as low as 31 percent in some states, reflecting deep voter apathy, perhaps because many believe the process to be rigged. In Edo’s September 2024 election, ThisDay noted allegations of result manipulation, further eroding trust. These elections, meant to reflect Nigeria’s diversity of thought after over 25 years of civilian rule, instead expose a democracy hollowed out by manipulation and fear.
Yet, Nigeria’s spirit endures, even amidst the gloom. The Female Reserved Seats Bill, gaining wide support in the National Assembly and poised to pass through the Constitutional Amendment Process, is a positive development. Civil society’s fierce advocacy, from halting the Counter-Subversion Bill to challenging oppressive regulations, proves that collective action can prevail.
The clock to 2027 is ticking. President Tinubu has an opportunity over the course of the next 2 years to rewrite his legacy as the Nigerian president who was for Nigerians. He has a chance to become the president who fulfilled both the spirit and letter of s14(2)(b) and (c) of the Constitution, making his primary duty the security and welfare of all Nigerians, and ensuring the protection of Nigerians to participate in their own government. He has 2 more years to renew hope and build a Nigeria where peace and justice reigns.
