National Association for Change

National Association for Change
Name	National Association for Change
Founded	2009
Founder	Nobel Prize laureate, Muhammad
Location	Nigeria
Headquarters	Abuja
Ideology	Democracy, Human rights

National Association for Change The National Association for Change was a Nigerian political movement formed in 2009 that mobilized activists, politicians, and civil society figures around demands for electoral reform, rule of law, and anti-corruption. The coalition drew together campaigners linked to Goodluck Jonathan, Olusegun Obasanjo, Atiku Abubakar, Bola Tinubu, and other notable figures in Nigerian public life, and engaged with international actors such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, United Nations, African Union, and Economic Community of West African States.

Background and Formation

The movement emerged after high-profile disputes over the 2007 2007 election and amid debates involving the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, the All Progressives Congress, and the Peoples Democratic Party about constitutional succession and electoral integrity. Its formation was influenced by earlier protests and reform efforts associated with events like the Iraqi insurgency, the Arab Spring, and campaigns led by figures connected to Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Wangari Maathai, and Kofi Annan who inspired civic activism across Africa. Founders and early organizers included activists and public intellectuals with prior involvement in movements linked to Olusegun Obasanjo's administration, Sokoto, Lagos State, Kaduna State, and university communities at University of Ibadan and University of Lagos.

Leadership and Membership

Leadership comprised cross-party politicians, former ministers, academics, and trade unionists who had worked with institutions such as Nigeria Labour Congress, Academic Staff Union of Universities, Human Rights Violation Investigation Commission, and civil society networks tied to Transparency International. Prominent signatories and conveners were often associated with personalities including Nuhu Ribadu, Diezani Alison-Madueke, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Chinua Achebe, and media figures connected with The Guardian (Nigeria), Vanguard (Nigeria), ThisDay, and Channels Television. Membership spanned activists from regional parties like Action Congress, All Progressives Grand Alliance, and Congress for Progressive Change, as well as NGOs that had cooperated with the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme, European Union Election Observation Mission, and faith-based organizations such as Christian Association of Nigeria and National Council of Women Societies.

Objectives and Political Platform

The platform called for transparent elections via reform of the Independent National Electoral Commission, constitutional amendments related to term limits and succession, strengthened accountability mechanisms involving the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and protection of civil liberties in line with instruments like the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and principles advocated by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. It sought judicial remedies through the Nigerian Constitution, engagement with the International Criminal Court framework on accountability questions, and policy shifts addressing oil-sector governance tied to entities such as Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and initiatives promoted by Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative supporters. The agenda referenced development priorities endorsed by World Bank Group, African Development Bank, United Nations Development Programme, and public intellectuals influenced by John Rawls, Amartya Sen, and Francis Fukuyama.

Activities and Campaigns

The Association organized public rallies, press conferences, petitions, and civic-education workshops in cities including Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Enugu, and Kano. It collaborated with election-observation groups like Transition Monitoring Group, media outlets such as BBC News, Al Jazeera, Reuters, and legal teams connected to the Nigerian Bar Association to challenge electoral outcomes and advocate reforms in venues ranging from town halls to international forums like sessions of the United Nations Human Rights Council and meetings of the African Union Commission. Campaigns included voter-registration drives inspired by past mobilizations including the Solidarity movement, anti-corruption petitions reminiscent of actions by Transparency International, and online mobilization paralleling tactics used during the Arab Spring and by organizations linked to MoveOn.org.

Government Response and Legal Challenges

Authorities responded with a mix of engagement and suppression, including public denials, arrests of organizers, and court cases brought before the Federal High Court (Nigeria), appeals to the Court of Appeal (Nigeria), and discourse in the National Assembly (Nigeria). Security agencies such as the Department of State Services (Nigeria) and the Nigeria Police Force were implicated in measures to monitor or restrict activities, prompting interventions by international observers like the European Union election missions and statements from diplomats representing United States Department of State, United Kingdom Foreign Office, and missions from the Commonwealth of Nations. Legal challenges raised questions interpreted in light of precedent from judgments involving the Supreme Court of Nigeria and comparative jurisprudence from the Privy Council and regional courts such as the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.

Impact and Legacy

The Association influenced subsequent debates on electoral reform, contributed to the passage of measures affecting the Independent National Electoral Commission and anti-corruption architecture including reforms tied to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, and shaped civic discourse alongside actors like Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre and Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre. Its legacy is evident in later mobilizations around the 2011 Nigerian general election, the 2015 Nigerian general election, and reform campaigns associated with figures such as Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan, as well as in ongoing collaborations between Nigerian activists and international institutions like the United Nations, African Union, and European Union. The movement's record remains the subject of analysis by scholars affiliated with Ahmadu Bello University, University of Nigeria, Covenant University, and think tanks such as Centre for Democracy and Development and Chatham House.

Category:Political movements in Nigeria