2023 election: Eight politicians attacked in seven days

With 15 days to Nigeria’s 2023 general election, politicians across different political parties have continued to suffer various forms of attack, Dataphyte’s findings have shown. 

On February 25, Nigerians will go to the polls to elect their president and national lawmakers. Two weeks after this, 28 states will conduct their governorship elections. State houses of assembly elections will also be held that day. 

Three months ago, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor, vowed that the armed forces of Nigeria would provide a safe and secure environment for the conduct of the 2023 elections. On Wednesday, February 7, 2023, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mohammed Babagana Monguno; Chief of Defense Staff (CDS), Gen Lucky Irabor; and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, still assured Nigerians of safety during the 2023 general elections.

While Nigerians are hopeful for a peaceful election, the recent attacks, particularly on politicians/politically-exposed persons in the lead-up to the election, have become worrisome. 

According to media reports from selected platforms, between February 1 and 7, eight attacks targeted at politicians were reported. 

Trend of violence

On the first day of the month, gunmen kidnapped the Cross River State Commissioner for Women’s Affairs, Prof. Getrude Njar. On the same day, gunmen killed the Imo State Young Progressives Party (YPP) Ibeme ward chairman, David Uche.

The next day, another attack was reported. This time around, it was on the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Ebonyi State, Prof. Bernard Odo. Although he escaped death, his driver lost his life. A similar incident happened in Kaduna on February 3. The residence of the Labour Party’s (LP) House of Representatives candidate for Lere Federal Constituency in Kaduna State, Suleiman Tambaya, was attacked by gunmen. While he was lucky not to be at home at the time of the incident, two of his boys were killed during the attack.

On February 4, another candidate of LP suffered an attack. According to a report by The Punch, the house of Nnaemeka Obiaraeri, the Imo assembly LP candidate representing Okigwe Local Government Area was attacked. While no casualties were recorded, Obiaraeri stated that his house, cars, and those of his father and uncles were burnt and destroyed by the gunmen. 

In Rivers State, it was reported that some chieftains of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) were attacked by suspected hoodlums at the Akpabuyo Local Government Area of the state. Although no life was lost, it was observed that their houses suffered considerable damage.

Similarly, on February 7, thugs attacked the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally in Rivers State, destroying vehicles and canopies set up for the party’s rally. On the same day, at Imo State, the house of the Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the candidate of PDP for the Ideato North and Ideato South Federal Constituency of Imo state was attacked by unknown gunmen for the second time this year.

This brings the total number of attacks on politicians between February 1 and 7 to eight, with LP and PDP recording the highest number of attacks in the period under review. 

While no known arrest has been made, there are concerns that pre-election violence of this sort could impact the election, particularly scaring voters from coming out on election day to exercise their franchise. Moreso, violence has been cited by different citizens as one of the reasons they did not participate in past elections.

It is dangerous, says expert

Commenting on these attacks, Timothy Avele, a security expert, said that these pre-election incidents signalled danger for the upcoming general election and could discourage many voters if the government and security agencies did not take proper measures. While he stressed that election was not war or a do-or-die affair, he urged the government to do all it could to prove that it was up to the task of providing effective security and protection of all citizens, especially through its security and Intelligence agencies.