- Says voter turnout, lowest since return to democracy in 1999
From Aidoghie Paulinus, Abuja
The Nigerian Delegation to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, has said that the 2023 general elections experienced a very low turnout.
The delegation explained that out of the total 93.47 million registered voters, only 24.9 million persons voted in the presidential and National Assembly elections.
It further explained that the figures represented a meagre 26.72 per cent voter turnout, the lowest since the return to democracy in 1999
The delegation stated this as part of its country report to the Parliament in the ongoing 2023 first ordinary session on Tuesday in Abuja.
In the report presented by Lynda Ikpeazu, the delegation also said Nigeria conducted its 7th general election on the 25th of February 2023 with eighteen candidates vying for the presidency and about 4,223 candidates running for the 469 seats in the National Assembly.
The delegation added that on March 11, 2023, 28 out of the 36 states in the country held governorship elections, noting that prior to the 2023 presidential elections, civic engagement was on the rise.
According to the Nigerian Delegation to the ECOWAS Parliament, “Citizens’ enthusiasm in the election process fostered a good measure of civic engagement. Nigerians have never been more passionate about the state of the Nigerian democracy and its political situation as was evident during this election.
“However despite the enthusiasm, awareness and campaigns leading up to the elections, the 2023 elections experienced a very low turn-out.
“Out of the total 93.47 million registered voters, only 24.9 million persons voted in the presidential and National Assembly elections.
“This represents a meagre 26.72 per cent voter turnout, the lowest since the return to democracy in 1999.”
The Nigerian delegation further said in response, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reported that the low number of voters was a result of some technical hitches in the technological device known as the BVAS which is a Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, which was designed to capture the biometrics of prospective voters and upload polling results.
“Some other reported challenges were the late arrival of election materials, and ad hoc staff, as well as setting up in the wrong locations.
“Nevertheless, and in spite of these challenges, the elections were concluded successfully and Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressive Congress (APC) was declared winner and President-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the Nigerian Delegation also said.
On the issue of pre-election violence, the delegation said that prior to the elections, the main candidates in Nigeria’s presidential race signed a peace accord to ensure a free and peaceful election, but as campaigning ended, some fighting broke out in some parts of the country with recorded violence in Kano state, with a Senate candidate being killed in Enugu State.
“Security concerns were heightened prior to the elections as record scores of violence against civilians through banditry, kidnapping, and political violence associated with the presidential and gubernatorial elections held sway.
“During the election campaigns, there was an increased targeting of political actors and INEC officials. In December 2022, an LP candidate was murdered in Imo state, reportedly when unidentified gunmen invaded his residence. Whilst two members of the APC were killed on the 20th of January when armed men raided a community meeting in Ebonyi state.
“INEC and its infrastructure have been targeted across some States Imo, Anambra and Ebonyi states. On 1 February, an unidentified armed group attacked the INEC office of Idemili South LGA, Anambra state destroying 729 ballot boxes, 243 voting cubicles, and 256 election bags. This disruption, along with the threat of IPOB issuing a call to boycott the election over the continued detention of Nnamdi Kanu had a major impact on voter turnout in the zone.
“Election violence was recorded in various parts of the country in the 1st quarter of the year.. The South East recorded 46 events while the South West 45 events, the South-South (38) and North Central areas (32). Nearly one in 10 events took place in the battleground state of Osun, where both the PDP and APC have traded allegations over inciting violence against their rivals. Half of the violence involving party supporters in the 12 months before the 2023 election involved direct, organised attacks against civilians, followed by mob violence and abductions.
“Despite the disruptive and violent activities prior to the elections, Hundreds of youths from across the country have vowed to remain peaceful and law-abiding after the 2023 general elections. This peace declaration was made by youths who attended the launch of the “Peace-for-Free” lecture series held in Kaduna in April,” the Nigerian Delegation to ECOWAS Parliament stated.
The report which also focused on the security challenge in some parts of the country, gave a gloomy view of the situation.
In the Northwest geopolitical zone, the delegation said the area has been hit by an unprecedented wave of kidnappings, maiming, killings, population displacements, cattle rustling, and disruption of socio-economic activities due to the rise of armed bandits in the region.
“These events have created a climate of uncertainty that has become a cause for concern for the government and the citizenry.
“The Kaduna State Government disclosed in March 2023 that 214 people were killed while 746 others were abducted by bandits from January to March.
“The report showed that Kaduna Central senatorial district recorded the highest number of casualties with 115 deaths followed by Kaduna South and Kaduna North senatorial districts with 61 and 38 deaths respectively.
“The report also indicated that of the 746 people kidnapped, Kaduna central senatorial district accounted for 492 victims followed by Kaduna south senatorial district with 221, while 33 people were abducted in Kaduna north senatorial district,” the delegation disclosed.
In the Northeast, the delegation said the Nigerian Government’s agenda for the resettlement and return of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Borno state has posed a number of challenges for residents in the North Eastern parts of Nigeria.
“Recently, the Borno state government has made concerted efforts in accelerating IDP relocation efforts. With federal support, the Borno State government has closed a number of IDP camps, bringing home refugees who fled to neighbouring states to escape the conflict. However, it has been discovered that the resettlement exercise has posed some challenges as some Jihadist groups operate near the sites to which some IDPs are being moved, often involuntarily thereby exposing the residents to risks due to a lack of security, public services and monetary support.
“Borno state has been the epicentre of fighting between Nigeria and jihadist insurgents for thirteen years, and during that period has seen the most war-related displacement in the country’s North East.
“Civil society groups have called for a suspension of camp closures by focusing on providing IDPs with the support they need,” the delegation further disclosed.
On the security challenge in the North Central parts of Nigeria, it said: “Nigeria’s North Central states have experienced continued pastoralist-farmer conflicts that have long marred the region and led to recurrent violence and displacement. These conflicts had implications for the elections due to the fact that ethnic support is a vital tool to garner support during campaigns. The longstanding political tussles between predominantly Christian indigenous groups and Muslim Hausa-Fulani which has spiralled into episodic violence, with Plateau state at the centre. In late January, Benue state, armed Fulani pastoralists attacked Makurdi, allegedly killing eight civilians.”