The group made this call through a statement issued by Elizabeth Oziri, the national president of the coalition and executive chair of the Women and Child Disaster Rescue Initiatives, on Thursday.
The coalition expressed concern over the violence during the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections in some parts of the country. It urged Nigerians to reject violence and intimidation in the remaining elections.
The group stated that its election observers, deployed in the 36 states of the federation and the FCT, reported that the elections lacked the credibility required for a free and fair exercise.
The coalition called on INEC to ensure a more credible exercise to restore its image, allegedly battered by its poor handling of the previous polls. According to the statement, the irregularities that marred the polls inflicted a significant dent in Nigeria's image.
Although some wards and polling units experienced no hitches, others suffered from operational irregularities, logistics challenges, intimidation, violence, suspected compromise, and poor network coverage.
The CSOs advised Nigerians, particularly the youths, not to lose hope or take the law into their hands but to embrace peace and participate in the remaining polls.
The group emphasized that Nigeria is the only country they have, and it is, therefore, essential to defend it, even in the face of the challenges posed by the elections.