NICIP Petitions National Assembly Over Alleged Federal Character Violations

A civic group operating under the banner of the National Initiative for Civic Inclusion and Participation (NICIP), led by Comrade IG Wala, has petitioned the National Assembly over alleged persistent violations of the Federal Character principle and what it described as the growing concentration of state power along ethnic lines.

In a petition dated January 12, 2026, and addressed to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the group cited Section 14(3) of the 1999 Constitution and provisions of the Federal Character Commission Act, warning that Nigeria’s regional balance and democratic stability are under serious threat.

The petition alleged an “ethnic capture” of key federal institutions, accusing the current administration of permitting an unusual concentration of executive, legal and economic authority within a single ethnic bloc, particularly the South-West.

Raising concerns about the justice sector, NICIP pointed to what it termed a legal and prosecutorial imbalance. According to the group, the offices of the Attorney-General of the Federation, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions and the Federal Character Commission are currently headed by individuals from the same ethnic background, a development it said undermines the spirit of inclusiveness enshrined in law.

The petition also expressed alarm over the leadership of security and intelligence agencies, claiming that the heads of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Nigeria Police Force reflect a similar regional concentration. The group argued that such a configuration weakens institutional checks and balances and could expose law enforcement agencies to political influence.

On the economic front, NICIP alleged that major financial institutions, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Ministry of Finance and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), are dominated by officials from one region, a trend it said marginalises other parts of the country.

The group warned that continued imbalance in federal appointments could lead to selective prosecution, erosion of public trust in state institutions and heightened national fragmentation.

It referenced experiences in other African countries where perceived exclusion and lack of neutrality in governance structures contributed to unrest and instability.
As part of its demands, NICIP urged the National Assembly to immediately conduct a federal character audit of top-level appointments made between 2023 and 2026.

It also called for strict enforcement of regional balance in leadership positions across key commissions, decentralisation of prosecutorial authority, and a formal advisory to the executive to avoid appointing heads of major security agencies from the same region.

The petition concluded with a warning that rising public frustration over perceived exclusion could escalate if urgent corrective measures are not taken, stressing that democracy cannot flourish without fairness, equity and inclusion.
Copies of the petition were also forwarded to international and regional bodies, including the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the African Union Commission, the Commonwealth Secretariat and Nigeria’s National Human Rights Commission.