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• Niger, Borno, Taraba, Benue, Kaduna face major hurdles as parties weigh access to troubled communities
From Fred Itua and Jude Idu, Abuja; Tony John, Port Harcourt; Priscilla Ediare, Ado Ekiti; Oluseye Ojo, Oyo; Jude Dangwam, Jos; Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa; Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri; John Adams, Minna; Mohammed Abubakar, Dutse; Scholastica Hir, Makurdi; Noah Ebije, Kaduna; Stanley Uzoaru, Owerri; Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo; and Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
Banditry, insurgency, kidnapping and communal attacks are threatening political campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections, with communities displaced, access to some rural areas restricted and parties considering limiting rallies to safer locations amid fears that insecurity could prevent many voters from participating in the polls.
Reports from Daily Sun correspondents in 14 states identified Niger, Borno, Taraba, Benue and Kaduna as areas of particular concern, as political leaders and residents described communities where armed groups continue to operate and displaced families have yet to return home.
While ruling parties in some states insist that their candidates will campaign across all local government areas, opposition leaders say the security situation could restrict access to voters, particularly in rural communities, and compound the difficulties facing those already living in displacement camps.
Elsewhere, parties reported varying levels of access, with some adopting security escorts and reducing night activities, while others expressed confidence that improvements in security would allow them to reach communities previously considered unsafe.
Niger: Parties differ over access
In Niger State, armed groups continue to operate in Shiroro, Rafi, Mariga, Borgu and other local government areas, with about 50 villages reportedly considered unsafe for unrestricted movement.
Reports from the state indicated that bandits stormed a mosque in Dekera, Borgu Local Government Area, in August and abducted about 500 worshippers, while another 37 farmers, mostly women, were seized while harvesting groundnuts in Mariga. The abductors of the farmers reportedly demanded N50 million for their release.
Despite the attacks, the All Progressives Congress (APC) maintained that it would campaign in all 25 local government areas, while government officials dismissed fears that insecurity would disrupt the electoral process.
Opposition parties, however, told Daily Sun that continuing attacks and restrictions on movement in affected communities raised doubts about the ability of candidates and supporters to campaign freely.
Borno: Uncertainty in volatile councils
In Borno State, Guzamala, Abadam, Marte, Kukawa and Kala Balge remain volatile, with recurring attacks raising concerns about the safety of political gatherings and access to displaced voters.
Political leaders said residents of Kukawa had fled to Monguno, which hosts a major Army base, adding that insecurity could prevent campaigns in nearly a quarter of the state’s local government areas.
An APC chieftain acknowledged that taking campaign crowds to Guzamala or Kukawa would pose serious risks, although the major parties had yet to announce clear arrangements for reaching voters from the affected communities.
Taraba: Opposition weighs restrictions
In Taraba State, political parties are reviewing access to troubled communities following attacks in Karim Lamido and parts of the southern zone.
Residents were still recovering bodies after the attack on Binnari village in Karim Lamido, while Chanchaji Ward in Takum was described as being under siege.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) said it might avoid Karim Lamido and parts of southern Taraba during its campaigns because of the security risks.
Accord’s Jerome Nyame also expressed concern about taking a campaign train into some communities, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said attacks in the southern part of the state had become recurrent.
The parties’ concerns centre on the safety of candidates, supporters and residents who would attend campaign activities in the affected areas.
Benue: Displacement clouds participation
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In Benue State, political leaders said insecurity had affected more than 10 local government areas, including Kwande and Guma, with some communities displaced for as long as 16 years.
A clergyman, Jonathan Terka, said the stretch from Anyiase to Jor Wata remained unsafe, while displaced families continued to live in camps at Nyihemba, Ikyogen and Jato Aka.
The prolonged displacement has raised concerns about access to voters and the ability of affected communities to participate fully in political activities ahead of the elections.
The APC, however, maintained that there were no areas closed to campaigns in the state, a position disputed by the PDP, which accused the state government of failing to protect lives and property.
Kaduna: Rural communities remain vulnerable
In Kaduna State, banditry and kidnapping remain concerns in rural communities, where the ADC warned that insecurity could prevent residents from voting.
The APC cited the reclamation of more than 500,000 hectares of farmland from bandits and improved safety along the Kaduna–Abuja road as evidence of progress, although party officials acknowledged that security challenges persisted in areas.
The differing assessments reflect continuing concerns about whether improvements along major routes will translate into safe access to communities where residents remain exposed to attacks and abductions.
Mixed picture elsewhere
In Plateau State, displacement has left some communities with limited opportunities for public gatherings, while the government has deployed an additional 1,500 Operation Rainbow personnel to strengthen security.
The ADC and the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) maintained that no area was closed to their activities, although the PDP acknowledged that insecurity remained a problem.
In Rivers State, security concerns along the Igwuruta–Etche, Emohua–Kalabari and Ahoada corridors have prompted parties to use escorts and reduce night rallies.
In Bayelsa State, Governor Douye Diri and Senator Henry Seriake Dickson have called for peace, amid tensions involving APC and NDC supporters in Sagbama and Ekeremor.
Kogi State has recorded attacks on political meetings in Ofu and Koton Karfe, while the PDP also protested what it described as high signage fees imposed by the state government.
In Jigawa State, the police said they anticipated no major security threat to political activities but were monitoring Hadejia, Gumel, Dutse, Birnin Kudu and Gwaram.
Political parties in Imo State reported that some villages abandoned during the 2023 elections had reopened, raising expectations of improved access ahead of the next polls.
In Ekiti State, the ruling party dismissed fears of insecurity, while the ADC said it intended to campaign in all 16 local government areas, provided security information remained favourable.
Major parties in Oyo and Ondo states also expressed confidence that they could reach every local government area, although rural kidnappings and threats associated with criminal activities in forests continued to cause concern among residents.
Fears over turnout, election workers
At the national level, presidential candidates warned that insecurity could affect voter turnout and expose those involved in conducting elections to danger.
The Labour Party’s Chibuzor Okereke said fear could discourage many Nigerians from going to the polls, recalling the killing of National Youth Service Corps members who served as ad hoc election personnel in previous elections.
The Young Progressives Party’s Peter Agada attributed the persistence of insecurity partly to the financial interests of those benefiting from it.
