Insecurity Threat To 2023 Elections –Situation Room
Friday Olokor
POLITICS DIGEST – A coalition of over 70 civil society organisations under the aegis of Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room on Wednesday raised fears over the insecurity in the country describing it as a threat to the 2023 general elections.
The organisation said it was imperative to hold state governors to account on the use of their security votes, while “leaders who are no longer able to guarantee the welfare and security of citizens should resign from government.”
The NCCSR raised the fears in a statement by its Convener, Ene Obi; and two co-conveners, Asma’Joda and James Ugochukwu, issued after a strategy meeting in Abuja to review its threshold document for the 2023 general elections.
According to the coalition, the number of internally displaced persons occasioned by insecurity is increasing beyond the North into other parts of the country, a situation further worsened by the repatriation and resettling of Nigerian refugees from neighbouring countries.
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The statement reads, “The security situation in Nigeria is deteriorating and manifesting in the form of banditry, kidnappings, posing a major threat for the 2023 general elections.
“Situation Room calls on the Federal Government to take immediate and effective steps and action to improve public safety and security as well as reassure vulnerable communities of credible measures of their protection.
“State governors should be held accountable regarding their utterances on the security situation, as well as the use of their state budgets to tackle insecurity.
“It is imperative to hold state governors to account on the use of their security votes at this time. Leaders who are no longer able to guarantee the welfare and security of citizens should resign from government.
“The violence that erupted in the bye-election in Ekiti State on Saturday, 20th March 2021, is indicative of worse violent occurrences in future elections if it remains unaddressed.”
Situation Room called on the National Assembly to expedite the amendment of the Electoral Act to enable electoral reforms before the 2023 elections.
Source: Punch
