INEC has so far recorded 50 attacks on its facilities across 15 states in the last four years.
Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), Femi Falana (SAN), has condemned the recent attacks on offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission in different parts of the country.
INEC has so far recorded 50 attacks on its facilities across 15 states in the last four years.
The breakdown shows that in 2019, the commission recorded eight attacks; in 2020, 22 attacks; in 2021, 12 attacks and in 2022, eight attacks.
The incidents happened in Osun, Ogun, Lagos, Ondo, Bayelsa, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Borno, and Taraba states.
In 2019, its facilities were attacked in Osun, Bayelsa, Imo, and Akwa-Ibom. In 2020, its offices in Osun, Ondo, Lagos, Imo, Abia, Cross River, Anambra, Borno, and Taraba were affected.
In 2021, Kaduna, Ebonyi, Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Abia, and Akwa Ibom States were not spared.
In 2022; its facilities in Ogun, Osun, Ebonyi, Imo, and Enugu states were attacked.
The analysis showed that Imo experienced the highest number of attacks on INEC facilities with 11 incidents, followed by Osun, seven; Akwa Ibom, five; Enugu, five; Ebonyi, four; Cross River, four; Abia, four; Anambra, two; Taraba, two; Borno, one; Ogun, one; Lagos, one; Bayelsa, one; Ondo, one; and Kaduna, one.
The nature of the incidents includes arson, 20; vandalism, 26; and arson and vandalisation, four.
Falana, in the statement issued on behalf of ASCAB, added that the state of insecurity in Nigeria also constitutes a serious threat to the conduct of credible elections in 2023.
The ASCAB chairman urged security forces to be prepared to deal with the “anti-democratic forces currently disrupting the democratic process.”
The statement read, “In the last 4 years, the Independent National Electoral Commission has so far recorded 50 attacks on its facilities across 15 states. According to reliable data, Imo State had the highest number of attacks on INEC facilities with 11 incidents followed by Osun, Akwa-Ibom, Enugu, Ebonyi, Cross River, Abia, Anambra, Taraba, Borno, Ogun, Lagos, Bayelsa, Ondo and Kaduna States.
“The state of insecurity in Nigeria has also constituted a serious threat to the conduct of credible elections. It has been confirmed that elections cannot take place in the over 40 local government areas in different parts of the country which are firmly under the control of various armed gangs, including bandits, terrorists, known and unknown gunmen. The territories seized by the criminal gangs are in Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Niger, Sokoto, Zamfara, Abia and Imo states.
“As the security of electoral officials and election materials cannot be guaranteed in the seized territories the authorities of the armed forces should ensure that an enabling environment exists for the conduct of elections in all the states of the Federation. Otherwise, the elections may be postponed indefinitely in territories controlled by armed gangs with serious implications for the 2023 General Elections.
“Last week, the INEC raised the alarm that some politicians have been buying up Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, and financially inducing unsuspecting voters to harvest their Voter Identification Numbers (VIN) ahead of the 2023 general elections. Apart from the two suspects who were recently convicted for illegal possession of PVCs in Sokoto and Kano states the sponsors of the criminal enterprise have not been exposed by security forces.
“While condemning the illegal purchase of PVCs the Director Publicity and Advocacy of NEF, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has disclosed that "thousands, or possibly even millions of northern voters, particularly women, are being made to surrender their PVCs for a pittance, in most instances not more than N2000. In some instances, they are told their cards will be returned to them after they are processed for additional payments as poverty relief. No cards are returned. Our investigations suggest that this is an aggressive and blatant voter suppression attempt to reduce the voting power of the North.”
“On June 8, 2022, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, approved the establishment of electoral offences desks at the Force Criminal Investigations Department, FCID, Force Headquarters, Abuja, with the Commissioner of Police, FCID, as the desk officer. The IGP also approved establishment of the desks at state commands across the country, with Assistant Commissioners of Police in charge of the Criminal Investigation Departments as state desk officers.
“On November 18, 2022, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), alleged that some governors were using armed thugs and state security outfits to disrupt campaigns and other political activities. Mr. Baba accused such governors show “traits of political intolerance” which create political tension in the country. On December 4, 2022, the Director General of the State Security Service, Mr. Bichi warned political leaders to do away with the usage of thugs when carrying out their activities and urged the youth not to make themselves willing tools for politicians.
“On December 11, 2022, the National Security Adviser, NSA, Major General Babagana Monguno (retd) warned state governors using thugs to prevent opposition parties from mounting campaign materials in their domains that security agencies would soon descend on them. Monguno said he was aware that in the last month, at least 52 cases of electoral violence across 22 states including politically motivated assassination of candidates had been reported.
“The heads of the nation's security agencies have been warning governors and other top officials of the political parties to desist from disrupting the democratic process. At the same time, they have been threatening to deal with armed thugs. Instead of issuing empty threats the security forces should proceed to arrest and prosecute the suspects electoral offenders.”
“Unless the security forces are prepared to deal with the anti-democratic forces that are currently disrupting the democratic process the 2023 general elections may be sabotaged to the detriment of democracy and political stability in the country,” it added.