By Nicholas Ojo
Nigeria electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has not hidden its fear by raising alarm ahead of 2023 general elections.
Since independence in 1960, Nigeria has witnessed escalated violence in the period before, during and after elections. This makes violence as one of the recurrent features of Nigeria’s electoral history and democratic journey.
The question has been whether 2023 general elections can be violence free, because of the recent happenings in the country.
Attacks on INEC offices
Cases of arson at the INEC offices in Ogun and Osun States led to the loss of 904 election boxes and 65,699 uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), with critical infrastructure of the commission increasingly being targeted. The recent attacks appear like a systematic assault meant to cripple INEC operations ahead of the 2023 general election.
Prior to this period, serial violence and arson against INEC personnel and facilities in some states, especially in the Southeast and South-south zones, had resulted in the destruction of buildings and vital election equipment as well as loss of lives.
Political Gladiators
The two of the major presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Bola Tinubu see the 2023 election as their last chance to rule Nigeria and there are indications that both candidates may mobilise every means, including violence, to win at all cost.
Politicians heat up the polity with insensitive and irresponsible speeches and actions. Hate speech, fake news and media reporting also also trigger violence.
Ethnic militia groups
Nigerians have expressed worries over the violence perpetrated by members of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress, an ethnic militia group, vigilante groups in the Southeast, JAS and ISWAP In North East, Nigeria in the 2015 and 2019 elections and the unknown gunmen in South East during the off-season elections.
There have been fears that governors in the South-West could use Amotekun Corps under their control for personal agenda.
The chairmen of the PDP in Lagos, Osun, Ekiti and Ogun states had in 2021 raised the alarm over an alleged plan by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to take over 150 armed thugs dressed in Amotekun uniforms to Osogbo, Osun State, for the Southwest Zonal Congress.
The Ebonyi State Government on Tuesday said it will deployed Ebubeagu security outfit and others, to fortify security all Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices, among other facilities, across the state.
Police readiness
“We are very ready for the election from the Police angle, we have been making a lot of training on election and the IGP been holding a lot of meetings with all the security agencies and also training officers including DPO are being trained on election.
“There will also be alot of deployment of personnel for any one who try to break the law will definitely be apprehended and prosecuted,” Spokesperson of FCT Police Command, DSP Josephine Adeh told Quest Times.
However, Usman Baba, Nigeria’s police chief, recently met with representatives of political parties and other security agencies in the country to discuss ways to address the issues of political intolerance and violence ahead of the 2023 poll.
Speaking at the meeting, the Inspector General of Police said that records show that about 52 cases of politically-motivated violence had been recorded across 22 states of the federation since INEC blew the whistle for political parties to begin their campaigns.
“If political thugs are armed with any sort of weapons and inspired by any political actor to advance an illegal act including attacking innocent citizens for political purpose or attacking INEC assets and personnel or any other critical infrastructure in the country, such persons and those orchestrating them stand the risk of being brought to justice for the specific crime associated with their conducts regardless of their political affiliation, status, or ambitions,” Baba said.
Nigerians are expecting that INEC and the security agencies to go beyond mere talk and begin planning on how to check the problems, as they have become major concern as the election draws nearer.