Coalition of 90 CSOs kick against foreign aid, social media bills, say they threaten free speech and democracy

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
A coalition of Nigerian, African and international civil society organisations on Monday raised the alarm over what it described as an “increasingly coordinated legislative assault” on civic freedoms, warning that a series of bills before the National Assembly could deepen executive control, stifle dissent and undermine Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The groups, speaking at a joint press conference in Abuja, were represented by the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Awwal Musa Rafsanjani, alongside Dauda Garuba, Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD); Lydia Od...