Ahead of the off-cycle governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states set to be held Saturday (today), the Centre for Democracy and Development has issued a call for professionalism and impartiality from security agencies.
In a pre-election briefing in Abuja on Friday, Prof. Adele Jinadu, Chair of the CDD’s Election Analysis Centre, emphasized the importance of drawing lessons from past general elections.
Jinadu specifically addressed security agencies, stating, “Drawing from our experiences in the general elections, we call on security agencies to remain professional and non-partisan in the discharge of their responsibilities.”
Highlighting potential threats such as violence, misinformation, and inducements, Jinadu stressed the need for collaborative efforts among stakeholders to mitigate these risks.
He remarked, “We urge the Independent National Electoral Commission, political parties, security agencies, media, and civil society organizations to apply the lessons learned from the recent general elections.”
The CDD has also deployed 150 observers and fact-checkers to the three states to monitor the elections.
According to Jinadu, this team aims to generate evidence-based reports on key issues in Nigeria’s electoral process supported by information disorder analysts, data clerks, reviewers, and experienced election analysts.
Jinadu expressed optimism about the coordination between security agencies and INEC, particularly their joint presence during the mock accreditation on October 14, 2023.
He believes that such collaboration will address concerns related to violence and voter suppression, stating, “This strategic coordination and cohesion should address fears of violence and voter suppression.”
