A research and public policy think-tank, Nextier, says the crisis of insecurity in the South East may be an hindrance to inclusive participation in the forthcoming general elections slated for February 25th and March 11th, 2023.
According to the group, it will not be out of place for stakeholders to rally round and find a lasting solution to the crisis in order to guarantee credible elections.
Recall that in recent times, there had been wanton destruction of facilities belonging to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which would be instrumental in the conduct of the forthcoming polls.
The research was conducted by Dr. Ben Nwosu, an Associate Consultant at Nextier SPD, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Development Studies, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, and a Senior Lecturer Political Science Department, Nsukka Campus, in conjunction with Dr Ndubuisi Nwokolo, a Managing Partner and Chief Executive at Nextier SPD and an Honorary Fellow at the School of Government and Society, University of Birmingham, UK.
They cautioned that despite the imminence of the elections, the conditions for credible elections are yet to be substantially guaranteed in some parts of the country.
According to the group, the conditions that yield clean elections, transparent management of the electoral processes and security of electoral institutions, as well as the general security of the entire citizens, are irreducible minimum.
They used recent occurrences in the country in the past two years, as case study, saying insecurity has risen exponentially in the South East of Nigeria from three core sources.
The academics said worthy of note is the secessionist agitations, while the second is agrarian violence in which the role of aggressive Fulani herders is central.
They equally noted that the third major source of insecurity in the South East is banditry by the so-called unknown gunmen.
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“Several criminal elements purporting to be separatist agitators engage in kidnapping for ransom, assassination, extorting rural communities, and other dangerous crimes.
“As the elections approach, these three sources of insecurity are yet to be hemmed in. A few months before the election, Fulani herdsmen invaded the quiet Eha Amufu community in Enugu State on November 13, 2022, and killed 13 persons.
“Also, along Nike – Nsukka road, massive kidnapping has been happening, including the kidnapping of undergraduates returning to the University of Nigeria Nsukka. This occurrence has become quite common across the South East of Nigeria, and they could collectively or singularly disrupt the election in the region,”both academic dons noted.
They however submitted that the forthcoming election is charged with fear of violence despite the willingness to turn out massively for the ballots, as demonstrated by the number of new registrants and active mobilisation.
Nextier SPD also cautioned that successful disruption of the election could alter the genuine preferences of the citizens. Hence the stakeholders involved in security at different levels should constitute a synergy to stall violent presidential elections in Nigeria.
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