BENIN CITY, Nigeria — As tensions rise ahead of the 2024 Edo State gubernatorial election, eight of the state’s 18 local government areas have been flagged as potential hotspots for violence, according to a pre-election statement released on Thursday, September 19, 2024, by Yiaga Africa.
The report, presented by Aisha Abdullahi, Chair of the 2024 Edo Election Mission, and Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, highlighted concerns over security, electoral integrity, and voter suppression in the upcoming election.
The identified hotspots include Ikpoba/Okha, Oredo, Egor, Ovia South West, Ovia North East, Esan South East, Etsako West, and Etsako East.
Yiaga Africa warned that the situation could be further exacerbated by the refusal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its candidate to sign a peace accord, a move typically made to ensure political parties commit to a violence-free election.
“The Edo election will serve as a barometer for assessing the nation’s commitment to electoral integrity,” the group stated.
They expressed concerns that violence or intimidation could be used to suppress voter turnout, disrupt the deployment of election materials by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, or influence polling results.
The report outlined several challenges facing the election, including economic hardship, security concerns, and a widespread lack of trust in state institutions.
Dr Abdullahi and Mr Itodo emphasised that the impartiality of security agencies, the resilience of citizens, and the integrity of INEC will be key tests for ensuring the credibility of the election.
Yiaga Africa also raised alarms over instances of voter inducement, with reports of cash payments ranging from N1,000 to N2,000 and political parties distributing food and other goods.
Such tactics, they warned, could undermine the credibility of the election.
“Payments of this nature, designed to influence voters, raise significant concerns about the fairness of the process,” said Dr Abdullahi.
The group further cautioned that fears of violence, combined with economic hardship and voter disillusionment, could result in historically low voter turnout.
According to Yiaga Africa, voter participation in Edo State has been on the decline, dropping from 32% in 2016 to 27% in 2020.
To promote transparency during the vote collation process, Yiaga Africa recommended that INEC establish robust oversight for collation officers and ensure accountability by allowing access to party agents, election observers, and media personnel.
The group also stressed that security agencies must act professionally on Election Day, adhering to their code of conduct and respecting the rights of voters, observers, and the press.
Yiaga Africa emphasized the importance of granting accredited media and observers unrestricted movement throughout the election process.
As the election draws closer, the call for neutral and strategic deployment of security forces in the identified hotspots will be critical in ensuring a peaceful and credible outcome.
