{"id":98159,"date":"2026-03-18T17:20:18","date_gmt":"2026-03-18T17:20:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=98159"},"modified":"2026-03-18T17:20:18","modified_gmt":"2026-03-18T17:20:18","slug":"csmn-assembly-raises-concerns-over-nigerias-democracy-ahead-of-2027-elections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=98159","title":{"rendered":"CSMN Assembly Raises Concerns Over Nigeria\u2019s Democracy Ahead of 2027 Elections"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Christian Social Movement of Nigeria (CSMN) has called for sweeping political reforms and greater Christian unity ahead of Nigeria\u2019s 2027 general elections, following resolutions reached at its Christian Consultative Assembly held on Saturday, March 14, 2026.<\/p>\n<p>The gathering, themed \u201c2027 Election: What Are the Options?\u201d, brought together Christian participants from across the country to deliberate on Nigeria\u2019s political future. Key speakers at the event included legal practitioner Dele Farotimi and journalist Luka Binniyat.<\/p>\n<p>In a communiqu\u00e9 issued after the meeting and signed by its Chief Executive Officer, Bosun Emmanuel, the group expressed deep concern over what it described as the erosion of democratic values in Nigeria.<\/p>\n<p>The Assembly lamented the absence of what it termed \u201cshared citizenry,\u201d arguing that governance since independence has retained a colonial structure in which citizens are treated as subjects rather than active participants in a democratic system. It further criticized Nigerian political elites, accusing them of operating a feudal system that undermines equality and accountability.<\/p>\n<p>According to the communiqu\u00e9, this perceived feudal structure has rendered elections ineffective, with the Assembly asserting that electoral processes have become \u201chollow rituals\u201d where votes do not truly determine leadership outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these concerns, the group maintained that elections remain the most viable means of achieving national transformation. It urged Nigerians to mobilize around progressive ideals and actively participate in the 2027 electoral process.<\/p>\n<p>The Assembly also addressed regional identity issues, rejecting the classification of the Middle Belt as part of Northern Nigeria. It argued that the region represents distinct cultural and historical identities that should be recognized independently.<\/p>\n<p>In a call for religious and political alignment, the group urged Christian denominations and leaders to unite in pursuit of what it described as \u201crighteous governance.\u201d It tasked the CSMN with initiating consultations aimed at producing a consensus candidate for the 2027 elections.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, the Assembly criticized the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), accusing it of adopting what it described as a pro-Islam stance. While reaffirming CAN\u2019s role as the umbrella body for Christians in Nigeria, the group expressed dissatisfaction with its current leadership\u2019s engagement with Muslim groups.<\/p>\n<p>On security and international relations, the Assembly welcomed increasing global attention to insecurity in Nigeria, particularly what it described as ethnoreligious insurgency. It encouraged the CSMN to strengthen partnerships with democratic nations to help preserve Nigeria\u2019s secular framework.<\/p>\n<p>The communiqu\u00e9 concluded with a call for national renewal and unity, expressing hope for a more accountable and inclusive government by 2027.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Christian Social Movement of Nigeria (CSMN) has called for sweeping political reforms and greater Christian unity ahead of Nigeria\u2019s 2027 general elections, following resolutions reached at its Christian Consultative Assembly held on Saturday, March 14, 2026. The gathering, themed \u201c2027 Election: What Are the Options?\u201d, brought together Christian participants from across the country to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":93681,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8],"tags":[6968,198,4568,7678,7440],"class_list":["post-98159","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","category-politics","tag-6968","tag-can","tag-consensus","tag-csmn","tag-middle-belt"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=98159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98159\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/93681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=98159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=98159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=98159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}