By Abubakar Yunusa
Ahead of the gubernatorial elections in Imo, Bayelsa, and Kogi States, a civil society organization, Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), has called on security agencies and critical stakeholders to proactively address pre-election violence before it escalates.
Bukola Idowu, Team Lead of KDI, made this call during the public presentation of the Pre-Election Security Risk Assessment (ESRA) report in Abuja recently. According to Idowu, security agencies need to be proactive, rather than reactive, this time around. They should not wait for issues to arise before deploying personnel to address them.
He also emphasized the need for security agencies to take immediate steps to curb the proliferation of light arms across the three states. “We have alerted stakeholders to intervene early and prevent these issues from escalating into violence beyond manageable levels,” Idowu stated. Idowu further highlighted some key findings from their survey:Most of these states have a significant history of electoral violence likely to repeat itself on election day.
“In Imo, there are concerns about a potential mix of agitation and politics, along with uncertainty around the judicial process in the region. Bayelsa, although currently reporting low levels of violence, faces judicial uncertainty, particularly concerning the APC candidate.
“Kogi is experiencing a rising number of violence cases, with an average of one case reported every week, mostly with political motives. The strong competition among candidates representing all three senatorial districts is a significant concern.
“In light of these findings, it is imperative that security agencies and stakeholders take proactive measures to ensure a peaceful and secure electoral process in these states,”he said.