Insecurity, poor governance frustrating Nigerians –CBCN

From Noah Ebije, Kaduna

President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Most Rev. Matthew Man-Oso Ndagoso,  said growing insecurity and poor governance have left Nigerians deeply frustrated, warning that the country cannot afford to make another wrong electoral choice in the 2027 general elections.

Ndagoso said the nation’s worsening security situation, economic hardship and poor leadership had pushed Nigeria close to a breaking point, stressing that citizens were demanding only the basic responsibility of government; protection of lives and property.

Addressing political leaders in a message ahead of the 2027 elections, the Catholic cleric said, “Nigerians have never been this dissatisfied. And we are not asking for much.”

“The farmers, the traders, the teachers, the parents, the school children, the clergy—we all just want to be safe. The protection of lives and property is the primary duty of every government. We do not even have the luxury of asking for more.”

Ndagoso lamented that bad leadership had continued to fuel negligence, lack of accountability and widespread suffering across the country.

“We are already at a point where bad leadership translates into negligence, unaccountability, economic retrogression, religious tension, insecurity, kidnappings and needless loss of human lives.

“We are almost at a breaking point. We cannot afford to make our situation more dismal.”

The CBCN President, however, urged Nigerians not to allow frustration with governance to discourage them from participating in the democratic process, describing the 2027 polls as one of the most critical elections in the country’s history.

“We once again approach the threshold of another decisive period, perhaps the most decisive, in our nation’s history: the 2027 elections,” he said.

According to him, elections remain the avenue through which citizens “exercise their franchise” and “claim their power and voice in choosing who governs them,” adding that “this time, the stakes are higher.”

Expressing concern over declining voter participation, Ndagoso cited figures released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), noting that despite Nigeria’s population of about 250 million people, only 93,469,008 registered to vote in the 2023 general election, while 87,209,007 collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

He added that only 25,286,616 voters were accredited for the presidential election, while the eventual winner secured 8,794,726 votes.

According to him, the figures showed that the President was elected with only about 9.41 per cent of registered voters and approximately 3.52 per cent of Nigeria’s total population.

“As worrying as these figures are, I fear that more Nigerians are even now uninterested in elections, believing their votes do not matter any longer,” he said.

While acknowledging concerns over electoral malpractice, Ndagoso insisted that Nigerians must not abandon their civic responsibility.

“While we cannot dismiss the corruption of electoral officers, we must remind ourselves that voting is a fundamental duty of every citizen. It is how every citizen participates in civil society. It is also our duty to protect our votes, hold electoral officers accountable, and make sure our voices matter.”

He added that “every election is determined by the people who show up,” stressing that citizens must ensure their votes count.

“It thus goes without saying that getting our PVCs is not an option. It is how we salvage our situation,” he said.

The Archbishop also cautioned governments against ignoring widespread public dissatisfaction, citing the September 2025 protests in Nepal, popularly known as the “Gen Z protests,” as a warning.

“The Nepal protests of September 2025… should be a warning to every government of the consequences of keeping its citizens dissatisfied. I pray we do not get to such a point,” he said.

Ndagoso further called on religious institutions, civil society organisations and non-governmental organisations to intensify voter education and mobilise Nigerians to participate in the 2027 elections.

“I call on Nigerians to take up the courage to vote. We cannot afford to get it wrong this time around,” he said.

“I call on all religious institutions, non-governmental organisations and civil society groups to take up electoral sensitisation, reminding Nigerians of the importance of exercising their franchise.”

He added, “We pray for a better nation as we work for a better nation. Amen.”