January 11, 2023/CSL Research
According to a report published by This Day newspaper, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed concerns over the forthcoming general elections due to the rising level of insecurity, warning that the forthcoming polls could be cancelled if the state of insecurity across the country worsens.
This follows allegations by the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), during a media briefing yesterday, that some state governors are employing thugs to intimidate political opponents and destroying campaign materials of opposition parties. The commission also warned that a cancellation and/or postponement of elections in a number of constituencies due to the high level of insecurity in such areas, may not only hinder the declaration of election results, but also precipitate a constitutional crisis.
The state of insecurity in the country has worsened in recent times. In the last 24 months, the country has witnessed several attacks targeted at the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in different parts of the country, instilling fear in residents and preventing them from picking up their voter cards. INEC had raised the alarm that a significant number of the voting population could become disenfranchised following widespread apathy towards the collection of permanent voter cards (PVCs) since the exercise kicked off.
Nigeria’s 36 states are split into 6 geopolitical zones, made up of between 5-7 states each. The electoral law requires the successful presidential candidate to obtain both a simple majority and 25% of the popular vote across two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states and the FCT, otherwise, there will be a run-off, and cancellation of results due to insecurity could jeopardize the forthcoming elections.
Insecurity during elections are usually master minded by political thugs. The menace of political thuggery is as old as our democracy, as politicians deploy these thugs during campaigns to instill fear in political opponents. They are also deployed for election rigging and intimidation of voters to stop them from coming out to exercise their voting rights.
President Muhammadu Buhari had earlier warned politicians about the consequences of their actions, asking them to call their thugs to order or risk commensurate backlash from law enforcement agencies. According to him, there has been an increase in incidences of violence in the last month. Therefore, there is a need for INEC to effectively collaborate with other security agencies, to prevent electoral related violence across the country.
