A civil society organisation, Global Rights, has unveiled its findings, ranking Rivers and Lagos states as the worst in Nigeria concerning electoral violence.
Abiodun Baiyewu, the Executive Director of Global Rights, disclosed this during a national dialogue in Abuja, where a report titled “In Pursuit of Justice: Forensic Insights into Nigeria’s 2023 Election Atrocities” was launched.
Baiyewu lamented over the historical volatility of Nigeria’s electoral cycles, noting sporadic moments of citizen solidarity for credible elections and divisive rhetoric becoming a recurring theme.
She emphasized the weaponization of words and imagery to incite violence, leading to a culture of impunity and social cohesion erosion.
”The run-up to the 2023 general election, mirrored past trends, with heightened stakes due to crises precipitated by bad governance, further polarizing the nation.
”Marginalization perceptions, coupled with insecurity, worsened societal narratives across various regions,” Baiyewu noted,
She singled out specific regions facing distinct challenges, such as the South-east’s struggle with civil war trauma and security responses, the North’s battle against terrorism, the South-South’s governance issues, and the South-west’s political violence.
Rivers State and Lagos emerged as the worst states for election violence, according to Baiyewu, with recent escalations observed in the southeast.
Providing an overview of the report, Kare Hemshaw, Executive Director of We The People, lamented the rise of divisive discourse fueled by new civic spaces like social media.
He underscored the impact of such discourse, leading to violence, hate speech, and election-related atrocities.
Hemshaw called for ”improved data curation to address electoral violence effectively, urging specific measures to enhance the independence and capabilities of electoral bodies.”
He also advocated for non-partisan appointments, logistical and technological infrastructural improvements, and continuous professional training for electoral staff.
Additionally, Henshaw suggested divesting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of prosecuting electoral offences, citing its lack of capacity in this regard.
He argued that this gap denies justice to victims of electoral crimes and perpetuates impunity among offenders.
