Nigeria: Hopes to keep elections violence-free dwindle

With under 100 days to go before elections in Nigeria, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, accused some politicians of  actively promoting violence. 

The INEC has so far registered 51 politically motivated attacks in 21 states of the federation since the election campaign started a month ago. Its own offices are among the main targets. 

Ibrahim Alkali, the Inspector-General of Police, said police investigations had shown that some politicians are sponsoring thugs to disrupt political activities and opposition rallies of in the state.

Blaming the government

"We know our powers and duties in the Electoral Act. And we will continue to educate our personnel as to how we can effectively use those powers," he said, to guarantee free and credible elections.

Musa Rabi'u Kwankwaso, presidential candidate for the New Nigeria Peoples Party, told DW that the government was to blame for the violence. In his view, widespread poverty in the country was triggering political extremism.

"If everybody can go to school, have something to eat, have hope for tomorrow, I don't think anybody will think that the system is not working," he said.

Citizens called upon to help prevent violence

The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, senator Abdullahi Adamu, emphasized that the law applied to everyone, and security was a fundamental right. He called on citizens to report attempts to disrupt the elections to the authorities.

"If you do nothing, you're as good as a terrorist yourself, because you are aiding and abetting insecurity and risks to our dear country. Believe strongly that you don't have to be an officer to make your contribution toward ensuring peace," he said.

Despite widespread anxiety, INEC Chairman Yakubu is confident that the elections on February 25 will be free and fair. "We must all rise to the occasion," he said, reminding Nigerians that the world is watching the country. "The commission wishes to reassure Nigerians that we remain committed to delivering credible elections in spite of the challenges." 

Insecurity threatens to hamper voting

Elections in Africa's most populous nation are often tainted by ethnic and religious rhetoric, reflecting numerous fault lines. Past elections in Nigeria have been marred by violence and fraud.

Voter apathy and insecurity could lower turnout in mainly Muslim northern states, which usually record higher levels of turnout than the south and are crucial for any presidential candidate.

Their support delivered the presidency to Muhammadu Buhari in the last two elections. Buhari is stepping down after serving the two terms allowed by the constitution. Analysts say the region appears more splintered now, attributing this to disillusionment with the central government, which proved unable to stop the violence.

Nigeria's armed forces are fighting jihadists in the northeast, armed bandit militias in northwest and central states and separatist agitators in the southeast, situations that could prevent people from voting and complicate the deployment of election officials and materials.

Africa's largest economy has also been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, fallout from the war in Ukraine and its worst flooding in a decade that has impacted food production.