Nigeria Is Under Siege, Rise And Reclaim It, COPDEM, ADC Tell Nigerians

….Call on the Citizenry to mobilize and reclaim democracy ahead of the 2027 Elections

…..warns of one-party rule, urges citizens to join ADC

The Coalition to Protect and Defend Our Democracy (COPDEM), in collaboration with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has raised concerns over the creeping erosion of Nigeria’s democratic foundations.

At a world press conference held in Abuja on Tuesday May 6, 2025, Rwang Pam Jnr, the COPDEM National Chairman and the Director General of the ADC Directorate for Mobilisation, Civil Societies & Progressives Engagements, warned that Nigeria’s democracy was under siege unless we rise — united and resolute — to reclaim it, we may soon find ourselves in an irreversible state of tyranny.

While addressing journalists at the conference, he said the nation was at a critical crossroads, facing an urgent threat of descent into authoritarianism if citizens failed to act decisively ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking further he said; “The situation in Nigeria today is nothing short of alarming. Mass defections to the ruling party have weakened our multiparty democracy beyond recognition. Electoral outcomes are increasingly determined by coercion and judicial compromise, while insecurity continues to ravage communities with little to no consequence for those in power.

“What we are witnessing is not politics as usual — this is the slow, systematic destruction of the pillars of democratic governance.

‘The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is turning Nigeria into a one-party state, a fate that history warns us always ends in disaster. Opposition voices are being absorbed or silenced. Institutions of accountability are neutralized. Public disillusionment is at an all-time high.

Where are the voices of dissent? Where are the credible alternatives?

It is with great regret that we acknowledge that both the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) have failed to provide the needed credible opposition. Instead of serving as checks and balances, they have become shadows of themselves — fragmented, distracted, and reactive.

On the issue of Rivers State, he said it is a microcosm of national collapse, according to him he said; “Nowhere is this democratic collapse more visible than in Rivers State — where constitutional order has been thrown into the dustbin. A silenced House of Assembly, a crippled local government system, and a militarized approach to governance now define what used to be one of Nigeria’s most politically active states.

The situation in Rivers is a prototype of martial law disguised as civilian administration. If left unchallenged, it will become the new normal across Nigeria.

He called on Nigerians to rise and to rise and reclaim our country.

“ In the 2023 general elections, over 70 million registered voters stayed away from the polls. This wasn’t apathy. It was a rejection of a corrupt system. But silence is not a strategy. Disengagement is not resistance. If the people do not participate, the oppressors win by default.

That is why we are here.

“It is time for Nigerians — from the market woman in Zamfara to the student in Calabar, the professional in Lagos to the farmer in Benue — to rise and reclaim our country.

We must forge a coalition of patriotic Nigerians who will not sit back and watch our democracy crumble.”

He hinted further that, Nigeria needs a genuine platform that is inclusive, people-powered party, and that the  platform is the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

He stated that at its most recent National Executive Committee meeting, held on March 27, 2025, in Abuja, with INEC officials present, the ADC made a historic move. It amended Article 9 of its constitution to allow any Nigerian who joins the party today to become immediately eligible to vote, hold party office, and contest for any elective position in Nigeria — including President.

This is a seismic shift in Nigerian politics. It means the power has returned to the people.

Pam said if we fail to act now, the 2027 elections will be a coronation — not a competition. We will have lost the last vestiges of democracy. Every dictator in history was enabled by the silence of good people. We must not let that be our story.

According to him, Nigeria is still worth fighting for, “Let it be clear: this is not about personalities. It is about purpose. A citizens-powered opposition coalition offers:

1. Democratic Health – Strengthening checks and balances, keeping those in power accountable

2. Policy Innovation – Encouraging real competition and practical solutions to national problems

3. Economic Revival – Restoring investor confidence and supporting local enterprise

4. National Unity – Healing our nation through transparency, inclusion, and shared ownership of the Nigerian project.