This post has already been read 2480 times!

A powerful coalition of civil society organizations and labour movement leaders under the banner of the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has called on Nigerians to intensify and sustain mass protests across the country until the National Assembly yields to demands for comprehensive electoral reforms.

This was contained in a statement signed by MCE, Comrade James Ezema, following a high-profile world press conference held in Lagos on Tuesday, where the coalition declared that ongoing protest actions in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, would be expanded nationwide as part of a coordinated citizens’ resistance campaign aimed at compelling lawmakers to align with public demands for transparent and credible electoral processes.

Addressing journalists and stakeholders at the event, the Head of the MCE National Secretariat, veteran political activist, Olawale Okunniyi, issued a firm directive to all partners and allied organizations to maintain pressure on the National Assembly through sustained civic mobilization.

He emphasized that the Abuja protests must continue until the legislature reverses what the coalition described as its “unpopular stance” and fully adopts electoral reform proposals outlined in a public petition earlier submitted by the movement.

Okunniyi disclosed that the coalition is activating a nationwide grassroots mobilization strategy that will establish operational structures across all thirty-six states of the federation. According to him, the initiative is designed to galvanize citizens ahead of the 2027 general elections and prevent electoral manipulation and rigging, which he said Nigerians would no longer tolerate.

He stated that the movement is committed to what he termed a “ballot revolution,” stressing that citizens’ collective action would be instrumental in reshaping Nigeria’s democratic landscape.

He further revealed that zonal protest coordinating centres would be inaugurated during the week, alongside the formal announcement of zonal coordinators expected to spearhead regional mobilization efforts. Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, he noted, has been tasked with leading coordination of the Abuja protest operations.

The MCE leadership also used the platform to commend Nigerians and the media for their support and resilience in advocating electoral integrity, describing public participation and sustained media engagement as critical to achieving the coalition’s objectives.

The inaugural press conference drew prominent figures from Nigeria’s civil society, political, and labour communities, including former presidential adviser and public intellectual, Mallam Dr. Usman Bugaje; former Nigeria Labour Congress President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba; political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi; Social Democratic Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Prince Adewole Adebayo; labour leader, Comrade Promise Adewusi, mni; and Engr. Bala Zakka, among other influential stakeholders aligned with the coalition’s reform agenda.

The Movement for Credible Elections, positioned as an umbrella coalition of organized civil society and labour groups, insists that sustained civic pressure remains the most effective means of ensuring the National Assembly enacts reforms that reflect the will of Nigerian citizens and strengthen the country’s democratic credibility ahead of future elections.

The coalition reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining nationwide mobilization until its electoral reform demands are fully addressed by the federal legislature.