The Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Nigeria and the Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA) have expressed concerns over the ongoing repression of civic space in Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

The organisations stated that, over the past several weeks, the government’s crackdown on peaceful protests had intensified, leading to unprecedented violence and human rights abuses.

According to the organisations, security forces have been involved in the unlawful killing of protesters, arbitrary arrests, and severe torture of rights activists.

They added that these actions starkly contrast with global standards, where democratic governments are expected to address citizens’ grievances and concerns through dialogue rather than oppression.

In a joint statement released on Tuesday, Comrade Taiwo Otitolaye, National Coordinator of Publish What You Pay (PWYP) Nigeria, and Adebayo Titus of the Community Outreach for Development and Welfare Advocacy (CODWA) urged Nigerians to wake up to the current realities and the need for solidarity to restore sanity to the polity.

The statement read, “The recent arrests of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe AJAERO at the Lagos airport, and the primitive occupation of the office of a foremost civil rights organization working to strengthen the Rule of Law and the oil and gas sector accountability, the Socio- Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) by the State Security Services (SSS); are strong concerns that we are in the middle of a FASCIST REGIME reminisces of the eras of brazen global totalitarian regimes.”

“We wonder why the government of Bola Tinubu is jittery over citizens’ outcry for good governance and accountability.

“For how long would this government continue to repress its own citizens? SERAP is known for over three (3) decades to have walked the path of the Rule of Law, even under Tinubu’s government as the governor of Lagos, taking issues of public interest to Court on behalf of the people.

“Why is this government afraid of SERAP’s approach to the demand- side of accountability (DSA) of taking issues of corruption to Court?”
It continues, “On the arrest and detention of Comrade Ajaero, an injury to one, is an injury to all.”

“It is time Labour Unions in Nigeria woke up to their responsibility to provide the leadership for political freedom in Nigeria. We have long abandoned the political stage for mediocres and Kleptomaniac syndromes that have wrecked our country.

“We strongly condemn the primitive excesses of the Tinubu administration that within a year in office, has evolved into full fascist emperor’s dynasty.”

However, PWYP and CODWA called for immediate action to halt the attacks and to restore the democratic principles of respect and dialogue between the government and its citizens.