The Risk Manager from the British High Commission, Muhammad Abdulazeez, on 9 February 2023, presented and explored election processes, procedures, and security. He also identified options that are in place in some areas of Kano State. The training was held at the IITA Kano station conference room.
Attendees at the Election security training.
The Nigerian general elections (Presidential and National Assembly) are scheduled for 25 February, while the gubernatorial elections are on 11 March. The electoral campaign started on 28 September 2022, and for the first time since 1999, there are three major contenders for the Presidential elections, with different backgrounds and a diverse pool of voters.
Abdulazeez noted during his presentation that election violence has existed for a long time and is not unique to Nigeria. Violence and hard clashes between supporters of opposing political parties have been occurring countrywide, with injuries and fatalities amongst civilians recorded since the official start of the electoral campaign up to the present date, similar to the previous exercises in 2019.
IITA Kano Station Administration Ado Rabo speaking at the Election security training.
One of those groups contributing to election violence is not only the youth but also Boko Haram, who remain opposed to any election activity, the bandits, and IPOB, who threaten the 2023 election in different ways. Boko Haram will attack for ideological reasons, bandits will carry out kidnap-for-ransom, and IPOB will seek out journalists and observers to send its threatening message while demonstrating its control over the South East.
He added that the media plays a major role in keeping the citizenry abreast of current events and raising awareness of various societal issues. He said that between 2014 and 2022, the states with the highest number of incidents were Rivers, Lagos, Kogi, Ondo, and Ekiti, respectively. While Rivers and Lagos states again topped the list of places with the highest number of deaths, followed by Taraba, Bayelsa, Delta, Ebonyi, Kano, and Kogi. He further noted that on 25 January 2023, security forces arrested 98 individuals in possession of firearms and bladed weapons, who were headed from Ibadan, Oyo State, to Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, to attack a political rally.
Participants during the Election security training.
However, Abdulazeez said that Kano State is one of the many Nigerian states that often experience election-related violence, whether over national or local contests. Kano has also experienced a series of ethnoreligious riots, noting that such riots usually occur before or on election day and on issues of ballot box snatching and intimidation of voters and election officials. He further listed some election violence-prone areas in Kano, which include Dala, Nassarawa, Fagge, Wudil, Bichi, Kura, Minjibir, Gwarzo, and Kabo. He advised that staff should be careful of such places as they are likely to display some riots like in previous years. He also said staff must ensure they are at their respective polling unit on time, not wear political attire, avoid ethnicity or religious conversations at the place of voting, and staff should always keep in touch with one another. ‘’If you know something, say something,’’ he added.
The presenter highlighted the meaning, significance, and recommendations of the training to IITA as follows:
To ensure they have security policies and specific plans and protocols for events such as elections to cover safety, offices, secure communication, safe havens, secure data and information, and IITA’s movements, supplies, and emergencies.
To have an Electoral Ops room set up at the country level to promote information sharing among IITA staff implementing, planning to implement, or affected by electoral assistance activities.
To also approve limitations of movements around the election dates.
To also have a sure call; someone you can call when in trouble.
To get a few handheld transceivers (walkie-talkies) in case of emergencies.
The Station Administration, Ado Rabo, thanked the presenter for a wonderful presentation and advised staff to minimize movement during the election period except when necessary, to stock up enough foodstuff in their houses, and avoid gatherings and populated areas.
Contributed by Sarah Sallau
Olamide Deborah Nwanze is a Senior Research Associate specializing in gender mainstreaming research to inform participatory and inclusive breeding, variety development, and seed systems policies regarding root, tuber, and banana (RTB) crops in the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture Headquarters, Ibadan, Nigeria. She is a PhD candidate at the University of Ibadan and holds an MSc and B. Agric in Agricultural Extension and Rural Development. Olamide is a fellow of the African Women in Agricultural Research and Development – Gender Responsive Agricultural Systems Policy (AWARD-GRASP) and the Gender Responsive Researchers Equipped for Agricultural Transformation (GREAT). She seeks to apply her gender-mainstreaming learnings, gender-responsive research, and policy development, and review expertise to facilitate women, youth, children, and vulnerable social group’s access to and adoption of agricultural Innovations that guarantee food, nutrition, income, and livelihood security in Africa. Her current roles include mentoring research fellows, development of guides and training manuals, implementation and adaptation of gender frameworks and tools, value chain actors’ engagement as citizen science partners, policy review and redesign, data management, and analysis. Her current research explores mixed methods and participatory and interdisciplinary approaches to capture and highlight gender dynamics, needs, preferences, and challenges stakeholders face within the agricultural livelihood value chain to prioritize gender-inclusive strategies in breeding programs, policy design, and implementation.
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