Politics
2023: Insecurity, Executive Impunity May Impact Polls – Yiaga Africa
A civil society organisation, Yiaga Africa, has warned that the high rate of insecurity and executive impunity, especially by state governors, may impact the conduct and outcome of the 2023 general elections.
Yiaga, in its pre-election observation report, signed by its executive secretary, Sam Itodo, said the report was conducted through its Watching The Vote project.
It said 822 long-term observers were deployed across the 774 local government areas to observe the pre-election environment and report findings bi-weekly.
The report captures the activities of the critical election stakeholders: INEC, political parties, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), the National Orientation Agency (NOA), and indicators of electoral violence.
According to the group, the current security challenges, economic realities, and political neutrality and composition of the election management body, both at the national and sub-national levels, were contexts that created a more vulnerable system to electoral manipulation and electoral violence.
It said these factors were risk factors for the conduct of credible and acceptable elections.
The report also stated that the major issues that may impact the process include the security of election personnel, materials, and citizens, matters bordering on logistics, especially for deploying poll officials and materials in hard-to-reach communities due to difficult and inaccessible terrain.
The group noted that despite deliberate efforts by key stakeholders to ensure smooth processes, election periods were often not without foundational issues, which tended to undermine its credibility.
The report noted that most worrisome were the growing attacks on facilities and offices of INEC at the state level, with the most recent of destroying offices in Abeokuta South in Ogun, Edeh South LGA in Osun, Izzi LGA in Ebonyi and Oru West LGA in Imo states.
The report also said there was pre-election violence in the form of verbal and physical attacks in some local government areas.
It said 60 reports of violent verbal attacks and 46 reports of violent physical attacks were received from 27 states.
The report noted that the violence is more dominant in Bauchi, Borno, Cross River, Ebonyi, Niger, Katsina, Rivers, and Oyo states.
The organisation also said it received and confirmed 21 critical incident reports within the last month.
It said the report included incidents of hate speech, attacks on rallies, fighting between communities, attacks on INEC facilities, attacks against candidates or their supporters, voters’ inducement, and vandalism or destruction of properties belonging to either candidates or their supporters.
He predicted that before the next election cycle, Abia’s political landscape would witness broken alliances, surprising mergers, and new contenders emerging from within established networks.
Prophet Arogun concluded with a broader appeal to Nigeria’s political leaders, emphasizing the need for justice, peace, and integrity in public governance.
“Nigeria is the assignment. Only righteousness will stabilize this nation. Only fairness will preserve the mandate. Let those who have ears hear”, he said softly.
Senator Makarfi’s resignation comes on the heels of the national convention that saw the emergence of the new Chairman of PDP, Dr Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN).
In his letter of resignation, which was addressed to the PDP BoT Chairman, Senator Adolphus Wabara, and made available to journalists in Kaduna on Monday evening, the former governor said, “Chairman and Members of the Board of Trustees may recall that about two months ago I had resigned as Secretary of the Board and posted same on the Board’s WhatsApp platform.
“Mr Chairman, you may also recall that you personally urged me to stay on until after a convention that produced a Chairman.”
He added that the principal reason he initially tendered his resignation then “and now, was and is still my belief that the National Chairman of the Party and Secretary of the Board of Trustees should not come from the same geopolitical zone.
“Now that a chairman has emerged from the North West, where I come from, it’s necessary to give him full space to do the needful. Accordingly, I hereby formally resign as Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party with effect from today, November 17th, 2025.”
While commending the BoT Chairman for his support during his tenure as Secretary of the Board, he stressed, “I truly appreciate the very respectful relationship between us during my period as Secretary,” adding that, “I also appreciate all Board members for their support and the good relationship that prevailed during my period as Secretary.”
Meanwhile, Dr Turaki on Monday pledged to ensure that power returns to the Nigerian people, urging the judiciary to uphold the tenets of democracy.
Dr Turaki, while giving his acceptance speech after the swearing-in of new officers at the end of the Elective Convention of the PDP in Ibadan, assured that there will be “no more impunity, no more suppression of the will of Nigerians”.
The chairman appealed to the judiciary to uphold the principles of stare decision, abiding by the decisions of the Supreme Court, and not to “willingly or unwillingly put yourselves in a situation where, rightly or wrongly, it may be assumed, correctly or incorrectly, that you are part and parcel of the process to truncate Nigerian democracy.”
According to him, the new leadership of the party would be open to listening to the yearnings of members, with a view to aligning with their will, declaring that “No more monkey dey work, baboon dey chop,” adding that “if baboon wants to chop, baboon must be seated to work.”
He noted that the PDP has maintained its original name, motto and logo, unlike the other parties that started with it, making it a recognised brand anywhere in Nigeria.
