NCP Appeal: Defend Nigeria’s Democratic Space, Keep Gani Fawehinmi’s Legacy Alive

NCP APPEAL: GANI FAWEHINMI’S LEGACY, DEMOCRATIC SPACE AT STAKE NCP, Civil Society Groups Mobilise Supporters for September 16 Court of Appeal Hearing in Lagos Supporters of the National Conscience Party (NCP), human rights activists, lawyers, workers, students, journalists and other pro-democracy advocates have been called upon to attend the Court of Appeal in Lagos on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, as the court hears an appeal in the case of National Conscience Party (NCP) & Ors v. Attorney-General of the Federation & Ors. The appeal, registered as CA/LAG/CV/880/22, is scheduled to be heard at Court 1 of the Court of Appeal, Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos. The mobilisation is being presented as a solidarity action in support of the NCP and, more broadly, in defence of the principles of political pluralism, freedom of association and democratic participation associated with the late human rights lawyer and pro-democracy campaigner, Chief Gani Fawehinmi. Organisers stressed that the proposed gathering is not intended to interfere with the judicial process or prejudge the outcome of the case. Rather, it is aimed at drawing public attention to what they describe as the broader democratic issues surrounding freedom of association and the right of citizens to organise politically. Fawehinmi, who founded and championed the NCP as part of his wider struggle for democracy and social justice, consistently regarded freedom of association as fundamental to democratic government. One of the principles associated with his political struggle was that democracy could not survive without the effective protection of citizens' freedom to associate. The organisers argue that Nigeria's current political environment makes those principles particularly important. They contend that a healthy democracy requires meaningful political alternatives, popular participation and the freedom of citizens to establish and support political organisations without unnecessary restrictions. According to them, the NCP case therefore transcends the immediate interests of one political organisation because the outcome and wider implications of disputes concerning political association can affect the democratic space available to citizens generally. The mobilisation is also intended to reconnect contemporary democratic struggles with the sacrifices made by Fawehinmi and other activists during Nigeria's pro-democracy campaigns. The organisers have consequently appealed for financial, legal, media, logistical and research support ahead of the hearing, while urging participants attending the court to conduct themselves peacefully and within the law. They maintained that while the judiciary must be allowed to determine the legal issues before it independently, citizens committed to democracy have a legitimate responsibility to remain engaged with and defend the democratic principles for which earlier generations of activists fought. The September 16 hearing is therefore expected to provide another opportunity for supporters of the NCP, pro-democracy activists and members of civil society to demonstrate their commitment to political pluralism, freedom of association and democratic participation.