Ahead of the general election billed for February and March, ANAYO EZUGWU x-rays security challenges and President Muhammadu Buhari’s assurance of free, fair, credible and peaceful elections

A s the general election approaches, there is no doubt that the political atmosphere is tensed because of heightened violent attacks across the country, with many stakeholders expressing concern over the polls holding as scheduled. Since the flag-off of campaigns in September, there is no day electoral violence is not recorded across the country.

According to data from the Office of the National Security Adviser, in just one month, from October 8 to November 9, 2022, Nigeria recorded 52 cases of electoral violence across 22 states. Some weeks ago, gunmen killed Victoria Chintex, the Women Leader of Labour Party (LP), in Kaura, Kaduna State.

Just three weeks ago, Christopher Elehu, a Labour Party House of Assembly candidate, was murdered in Imo State by suspected assassins in Onuimo Local Government Area. Some days ago, the convoy of Ikedi Ohakim, a former governor of Imo State, was attacked with several security men killed in what has been dubbed a politically-motivated attack. Many parties have been denied access to venues for campaigns by the ruling party in some states, and many campaign rallies have been disrupted by hoodlums halfway across the country.

The number has been on the increase since and is expected to double as the political parties intensify campaigns. As such, many Nigerians are worried that the 2023 general election might follow the trajectories of past elections in the country, which were almost truncated by security threats and breaches.

As a result, the INEC was either forced to either suspend or reschedule the elections to enable the authorities to create a more conducive atmosphere for the conduct of the polls in the past. Bothered by this development, many believe that the authorities have not adequately matched their assurances with pragmatic actions that the situation is actually under control.

Apart from the inter-party rivalries, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is further worried over the attacks on its facilities and offices nationwide. The electoral umpire has variously expressed fear that if not tamed would jeopardize the general elections.

The attacks on the facilities of the electoral umpire have also raised fresh concerns over the safe conduct of the elections. The attacks by hoodlums and criminal elements may affect the capacity of the commission to conduct free, fair and credible elections mostly in the southern part of the country.

The recent attack on the commission’s office in Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State indicated that the criminal elements are determined to undermine the credibility of the 2023 general election. The attack in Ebonyi came after renewed attacks on the facilities of the commission in Ogun and Osun states.

The electoral commissioner announced that its Izzi Local Government Area Office, located in Iboko, Ebonyi State, was set ablaze by suspected arsonists. The commission in a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, disclosed that the incident occurred around 10 am and left the main building and all the movable and immovable items inside it burnt.

According to the statement, the burnt items include 340 ballot boxes, 130 voting cubicles, 14 electric power generators, large water storage tanks, assorted office furniture and fixtures and yet-to-be-determined quantities of Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).

However, the commission said the Nigerian Police Force has commenced a full investigation into the incident. As a result, the commission expressed worry that even as it was working hard to ensure a credible process in the forthcoming election, there were reports of clashes among parties and their supporters in some states of the country during the ongoing campaigns.

INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had also lamented the reported denial of access to public facilities for parties and candidates in some states of the federation. Yakubu said those acts are not only a violation of the Electoral Act 2022 but also negate the voluntary commitment by all political parties and candidates to the letter and spirit of the Peace Accord signed about three weeks ago under the auspices of the National Peace Committee (NPC).

He said: “Parties, candidates and their supporters should not by acts of commission or omission further complicate the prevailing security situation in the country. A peaceful electioneering campaign is critical to the conduct of peaceful and credible elections.” But INEC is also assuring Nigerians of credible elections this 2023, despite the challenges.

One of the steps taken by the commission to address the rising violence is convening meetings with leaders of political parties and security agencies to discuss, among other issues, the imperative of peaceful campaigns and equal access to public facilities.

At one of the meetings of the Inter-Agency Consultat ive Committee on Election Security (ICCES), the INEC chairman said the commission had so far tracked 50 incidents of physical attacks at campaigns, across 21 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory in a month.

Yakubu said those unhappy occurrences were coming just a little over one month into the election campaign, which is scheduled to last for about five months from September 28,2022 to February 23,2023 for national elections and October 12, 2022 to March 11, 2023 for state polls. His worry is that if no urgent and decisive steps are taken, the attacks will intensify as the election date approaches, saying a peaceful campaign heralds a peaceful election, hence the need to take decisive steps to stem the ugly trend.

According to him, Nigerians expect decisive action from ICCES, especially moving swiftly to apprehend perpetrators, prosecute them as required by law and reinforce security around election officials and electoral infrastructure around the country.

Similarly, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, said his office had recorded 52 cases of violence across 22 states within the period.

The NSA expressed worried that the violent clashes at the campaigns are increasing. He described them as bad signals ahead of this year’s elections, while warning that he and other security agencies have been

given marching orders by President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure rancour-free polls.

“From what the chairman has already told us, there are issues that have emerged. From my own statistics, I am aware of the fact that within a period of just one month, from October 8 to November 9, we had 52 cases of violence across 22 states of the federation.

This is a bad signal. This is something that we do not want to continue. “We are all aware of the fact that the president, as far as he is concerned, is committed to upholding and safeguarding democracy. This is what the people want. The president has also given his directives to me, to all the operational intelligence and law enforcement agencies to ensure that the 2023 elections are held in an atmosphere bereft of any rancour,” he said. Monguno also warned political actors regardless of whichever party, including the party of the president, to play the game according to the rules or expect real shockers.

His words: “For as long as you decide to scuttle the election process, the law enforcement agencies will equally be uninhibited in reacting to whatever actions you have taken. You will be visited appropriately, with a commensurate response. I want to assure you, and I am saying this with all sincerity.

“So, those people who feel they have had a history of organising and controlling groups that have an inclination for excessive, inordinate behaviour, I want to send this warning to you. Please, reassess, re-evaluate, run through whatever contemplation you have been making, hold your people and advise them that as long as they do not behave in a manner that suggests compliance with the election laws, and as long as you do not operate on the straits and narrows, you will be held accountable. “Therefore, it is important for you to call those people and you know the people under your control.

Those thugs, that bloodthirsty, trigger-happy thugs straining at the dish, foaming at the mouth, desperate to have the opportunity to undermine the electoral process, they will be brought to book. Already, security and intelligence agencies have been tracking these people. This I can guarantee you.”

On his part, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, said several culprits have been arrested in connection with electoral violence and are being investigated while some are already charged in court. “The election is threatened by events that have been unfolding in some states from the day electoral campaigns unfolded. We have had incidences of intolerance within the various ranks of politicians. We had incidents of thuggery, we have incidents of rallies, campaigns, and processions being disturbed violently and so forth.

“It is our determination that these things are put to rest quickly to enable us to forge ahead with the general election. In the incidents so far, arrests have been made, investigations have been conducted and some suspects have been charged in court. My prayer is the quick dispensation of justice so that it will serve as a deterrent,” he said.

Despite the assurances, the INEC chairman reiterated that the 2023 general election would be endangered if the spate of attacks on the commission’s facilities across the country is not checked.

According to him, INEC had witnessed 50 attacks in 15 states since 2019, with Imo State topping the list with 11 attacks followed by Osun with seven, five incidents in Enugu and Akwa Ibom; Abia and Cross Rivers had four attacks each. While two attacks were recorded in Anambra and Taraba states and one each in Bayelsa, Ondo, Lagos, Borno, Kaduna and Ogun states.

He assured Nigerians that despite the attacks the commission was determined to continue with the preparations for the elections, insisting that the implications would be far-reaching if not curtailed. “We are determined that we will continue with our preparations for the 2023 general election. All the facilities would be rebuilt or alternatives found and materials would be replaced.

However, should such attacks continue at the pace at which they are happening at the moment, the commission may find it increasingly difficult to recover in time for the elections. “If it is about the attacks, yes we can recover, but if the attacks continue, it would be very difficult for the commission to recover. That is why concerted efforts to stop these attacks have become imperative and we hope this public hearing would contribute to the required outcome.

“The attacks have far-reaching implications for preparation for the general election. First, the facilities that are destroyed, especially offices, would take time to rebuild. They are not like items of procurement that you can procure off the shelf.

“The commission and security agencies must also continue to provide safety around the facilities and this, as I said earlier, may be very challenging, because the security agencies are also protecting all of us and other national assets.” The Inspector General of Police Usman Baba Alkali blamed politicians and secessionist groups in the South-East and South-West for the persistent attacks on INEC facilities and other violent acts and said police had swung into action.

He said: “When INEC finally lifted the ban on campaigns, the campaigns commenced and what we realised initially was inter and intra-party disputes. We realised that members of political parties were destroying billboards, posters and campaign offices in some parts of the states.

“We quickly alerted the commissioners of Police in charge of the commands and gave them clear directives that it is the right of every political party to go to all the nooks and crannies of the society and campaign.

What we discovered is that we all know in this country, it is a well-known fact that in the south-east geo-political zone we have issues of secessionists – Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and Eastern Security Network (ESN). These groups are bent on stopping elections from taking place in the South-East. “They have been attacking our personnel; they have been killing our personnel.

They have been retrieving arms from members of the security agencies not only the police – the military and other paramilitary organisations that are there. They have been doing it, especially now that the embargo on campaigns has been lifted. The election is approaching very fast and they are putting much pressure to see that this election does not hold in the South-East.”

Despite these assurances to law-abiding Nigerians and threats to perpetrators of violence from security agencies, the situation remains unabated as INEC itself seems to be handicapped in tackling the monster. INEC chairman, Yakubu, expressed the inability of the umpire to tackle such issues when he spoke at a public hearing on a bill for an Act to Establish National Electoral Offences Commission and for Related Matters, 2022, organised by the House of Representatives committee on Electoral matters last year. Yakubu said INEC is presently saddled with the responsibility of prosecuting electoral offenders under the Electoral Act but the task is very challenging for the Commission. “Much as the commission would like to see more successful prosecution of offenders, our effort is hampered by obvious constraints.

INEC is basically an electoral commission with extensive responsibilities which include the registration and regulation of political parties, the monitoring of party and campaign finance, their primaries, congresses, meetings and conventions; nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and the maintenance of the national register of voters; creation of polling units,” he said.

The bill, proposed amongst others, a 15-year jail term for anyone convicted of vote buying in any election, 20 years or a fine of N40 million for persons convicted of ballot box snatching while anyone convicted of hate speech or action, which incites violence shall be liable to a minimum of 10 years imprisonment or at least N40 million is yet to be finally passed to make it law.

Accordingly, it is said that no amount of threat can subvert that craving for a better Nigeria; not minding the current level of violence and killings happening across the country. With the latest outcry by Yakubu on the implications of insecurity on the general election, Nigerians are anxiously waiting on the Federal Government and the relevant authorities to put their assurances into practice and allow them to express their civic rights. However, only time will tell how this will happen before February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.

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