Fear of violence may affect governorship election in 28 states today

*As Yiaga lists … low turnout as factors that may affect Saturday’s governorship polls

Governorship and House of Assembly elections hold across the country  on Saturday  March 18 a midst apprehension that they could be marred by violence.

The Governorship election will take place in 28 States across the nation with just a few incumbent Governors seeking re-election while most of the States will be electing new chief Executive Officers.

Out of the 28 states where governorship elections are holding today, 11 are witnessing incumbent governors seeking re-election.These are Oyo, Loagos, Kwara, Ogun, Zamfara, Gombe, Borno, Nasarawa, Yobe, Bauchi and Adamawa.

In Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu is seeking reelection on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, while the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, nominated Abdul-Azeez Olajide Adediran as their candidate and they will battle Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party.

Two major political parties, the PDP and APC, have the most candidates for Saturday’s election but will have to do more work to win in some states where the Labour Party have candidates.

In Akwa Ibom, Akan Udofia is the APC candidate and other states are: Abia – Ikechi Emenike, Adamawa – Aishatu Dairu Binani , Bauchi – Sadique Abubakar, Kaduna – Uba Sani, Gombe – Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, Delta – Ovie Omo-Agege, Borno – Babagana Zulum, Cross River – Bassey Otu, Jigawa – Umar Namadi, Kano – Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, Ebonyi – Ogbonna Nwifuru, Enugu – Uche Nnaji, Katsina – Dikko Umaru Radda, Kebbi – Nasiru Idris, Kwara -AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Ogun – Dapo Abiodun, Nasarawa – Abdullahi Sule, Plateau -Netanwe Yilwatda, Rivers – Tonye Cole, Yobe -Mala Buni, Zamfara – Muhammad Bello, and Oyo – Teslim Folarin

The PDP candidates across the country are Eleazar Ikonne – Abia., Umaru Fintiri – Adamawa., Umo Bassey – Akwa Ibom., Ibrahim Mohammed – Bauchi., Titus Uba – Benue, Mohammed Ali Jafari – Borno, Sheriff Oborevwori – Delta, Peter Mbah – Enugu, Muhammad Barde – Gombe, Mustapha Sule-Lamido – Jigawa, Isa Ashiru Kudan – Kaduna, Muhammed Abacha – Kano., Aminu Bande – Kebbi.,Abdullah Yahman – Kwara, Abdul-Azeez Adediran – Lagos. David Ombugadu – Nassarawa, Segun Sowunmi – Ogun, Seyi Makinde – Oyo, Caleb Mutfwang – Plateau, Siminialayi Fubara – Rivers, Sa’adu Umar – Sokoto , Kefas Agbu – Taraba, Sheriff Abdullahi Yobe, Dauda Lawal – Zamfara.

The Labour Party gave the more established political parties a run for their money in the February 25 presidential election and there is the general feeling that the Peter Obi factor may sweep across the country once more today.

There are fears that there may be violence in some of the states, particularly Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Kwara, Kano, Enugu, Kogi and Rivers among others.

For instance, Lagos State, the threats issued by the Lagos State, the  Parks Management Committee Chairman, Musiliu Akinsanya, popularly known as MC Oluomo, against Igbos in the state ahead of the governorship election is being investigated by the police.

In Imo State ,the House of Assembly election is characterised by low turnout of voters. While officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) arrived early in many of the polling units, only a handful of voters were met on ground

However, security agencies have assured Nigerians that all necessary steps have been taken to protected voters, election officers and the generality of the people throughout the voting period.

Police authorities have stated that tighter security measures have been taken to ensure the overall success of today’s governorship and House of Assembly elections across the country.

Heads of security agencies and paramilitary organisations held a strategic meeting on Thursday in Ibadan, Oyo State, ahead of today’s elections, where they assured voters and other categories of Nigerians of adequate protection and arrest of all violence tendencies in order to ensure peaceful and credible polls.

The meeting, the second in one week, had in attendance top officials of the Nigerian Air Force, the police, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, State Security Service, Nigeria Customs Service, among others.

A communiqué after the gathering stated that the meeting was convened to review performances during the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections with a view to having a better outing today

The state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Williams, who spoke on behalf of the other state heads of security agencies, said residents of the state “will witness a complete overhaul of the present security architecture to accommodate more inclusive measures effective from this moment.

“The measures include joint visibility patrols and raids of black spots, coordinated intelligence surveillance and close monitoring of habitual criminals.”

According to the communiqué, there will be involvement of forensic experts on hand to handle issues related to cybercrime, especially circulation of fake and unverified news that are can heat up the polity.

It warned that violators would be sanctioned in accordance with the provisions of Section 24(1)(b) of the Cybercrime, Prohibition, Prevention Act of 2015.

It said the ban on escorts accompanying their VIP principals to polling units, use of sirens and revolving lights by unauthorised persons, tinted glasses and covered number plates remain in force.

Whatever happens , the turnout of the election will be affected by fears.  Yiaga Africa, a pro-democracy organisation, highlighted factors that may affect the successful conduct of the governorship elections which will hold on 18 March.

The non-profit organisation said on Friday in its pre-election observation statement that the inducement of voters by politicians, low turnout and ethnic divisions, among others, are factors that may shape the forthcoming elections across 26 Nigeria’s states.

The think-tank also said it has observed some improvements in the logistic deficits that marred the 25 February presidential elections but noted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) may need to upscale its performance in many areas.