Concerned Nigerians Group Condemns Rise Of Authoritarianism In The U.S.

The Concerned Nigerians Group has raised alarm over what it described as “the alarming rise of authoritarianism and the relentless assaults on free speech and civil liberties in the United States.” The group noted that the trend constitutes the greatest threat to world democracy since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

In a statement signed by the group’s convener, Adebayo Raphael, the group stated that it was “heart-wrenching to watch, ad nauseam, the untempered deterioration and evaporation of democratic norms and values” under the administration of President Donald Trump.

The group expressed deep concern over threats by the U.S. president to withdraw broadcasting licenses of media organisations critical of his government. “We are particularly distressed by the recent threats by President Donald Trump to withdraw or deny the broadcasting license of media organisations that are holding his regime to account and defending the First Amendment rights of Americans,” the statement said.

It also condemned what it termed “the indefensible militarisation of American society and the series of clampdowns on peaceful protesters and activists demanding sanity and dignity for all human beings.” The group emphasised that voices of dissent must be protected, warning that law enforcement agencies “must be careful not to place themselves in the service of despotic power.”

As Africans, the group argued that these developments set a dangerous precedent for leaders on the continent. “We view these recent developments in the United States as a terrible example to the dictators and nominal democrats on our continent who, we are sure, must be rejoicing now that the so-called Leader of the Free World has, in effect, become the most prominent champion of democratic backsliding and authoritarianism in the world.”

The group further expressed solidarity with victims of the Trump administration’s immigration policies, describing them as “discriminatory and often arbitrary.” It urged the U.S. president to treat all residents of the United States with the dignity and respect that all human beings deserve.

The group appealed to Americans to defend their democratic ideals by urging all the “lovers and gatekeepers of democracy in the United States not to be disheartened and to vigorously continue their fight to buck this trend of democratic backsliding before it is too late,” the statement added.

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