Terrorism threat to conduct of 2023 elections in North-east – Group 

Terrorism threat to conduct of 2023 elections in North-east – Group 

The Conflict Research Network, West Africa (CORN West Africa), Tuesday, hinted that terrorism will threaten the conduct of the 2023 general elections, especially in the North-east Nigeria.

CORN West Africa in a recommendation, at its colloquium webinar with the theme: “Nigeria Decides 2023: Conducting Elections in Context of Political Violence and State Fragility,” asked the federal government and security agencies to prevent the threat by designing proactive security plan for the zone.

In his presentation on the topic, “Election amid Terror: Terrorism and the 2023 Elections in Nigeria’s North East”, Dr Babayo Sule of the Department of International Relations, Federal University of Kashere, Gombe state, stated that improved security of lives and properties before the elections in North-east will encourage people to come out to vote.

According to Sule, who is a member Conflict Research Network, West Africa, “Terrorism remains a major threat to the conduct of 2023 elections in the Northeast; elections may not hold in areas under the control of terror groups in the Northeast except counter-terrorism campaign is stepped up to clear the way.”

Dr Sule stressed that government must “significantly reduce the areas that are under the control and influence of Boko Haram before the 2023 general elections”, saying ” extra security personnel should be deployed to ensure the safety of lives, properties, INEC officials and electoral materials.” 

Dr Sule stressed further that “The Islamic State in West Africa Province and Boko Haram insurgency keeps growing in the North-east. There are several flashpoints that could be difficult to reach with electoral materials because they may attack or destroy the materials there.” 

Director of CORN WEST Africa, Dr. Tarila Marclint Ebiede, while speaking, disclosed that “Nigeria is struggling with different forms of insecurity and violent conflicts that may affect the credibility of the elections in some regions such as the North East, and North West where there are ongoing conflicts” and that “regions such as the South East also struggle with issues of insecurity associated with secessionists agitations. In the Niger Delta, armed groups still operate in rural communities.”

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