Skip to main content

2023 General Elections: Victims of electoral violence await justice

Despite the number of electoral violence witnessed across the country, none of the victims have come forward to push for the prosecution of those behind the act

The 2023 general elections in Nigeria were marred by violence, with at least 39 people losing their lives in different parts of the country.

States like Lagos, Abia, Nasarawa, Benue, Akwa Ibom, Osun, and Taraba were among the most affected, according to media reports on elections.

The theme of violence in the 2023 general elections

Speaking on the issue of electoral violence, the Chairman of Center for Democracy and Development Election Analysis Centre, Prof Adele Jinadu, said, "10.8% of observed polling units recorded violence and this was most pronounced in the northwest (19.9%) and south-south (11.6%) geopolitical zones with Bayelsa and Zamfara respectively."

Idayat Hassan, the Director of CDD, noted that the perpetrators' motive was to disrupt election processes. She stated, "Victims of this violence were voters, some of whom were disenfranchised as a result of having their ballot boxes snatched."

Despite the number of electoral violence witnessed across the country, none of the victims have come forward to push for the prosecution of those behind the act, a situation believed to be a demonstration of a lack of confidence in the system.

Addressing the issue of the lack of prosecution, a human rights activist, Maduabuchi Idam, said, "Ordinarily, without the electoral act, the act of violence is a crime under the Penal Code. Considering the electoral act 2022, the same offence as provided by the Penal Code was duplicated in the electoral act 2022 as electoral offences."

In response to the issue, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, said, "I have directed that all electoral offences case files across all State Commands be submitted to my office, where a committee has been established to centrally collate and coordinate the processing, preparatory to the commencement of prosecution process."

What you should know

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has also vowed to collaborate with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure electoral offenders are prosecuted.

Highlighting the electoral violence during the 2023 elections, the NPF said it arrested a total of 781 persons for various forms of offences during the just concluded general elections.

As victims await justice, it is imperative that the state ensures the perpetrators are brought to justice. The victims reserve the right to push for justice, and they can maintain a personal action against the act.

ridoola.blogspot.com.ng

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Okpebholo suspends A-G & LG Chair under 3 months over finance dealings

The Edo Government has announced the suspension of Samson Osagie , its Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, and Damian Lawani , chairman of the Local Government Service Commission. Mr Musa Ikhilor , Secretary to the State Government (SSG) announced the suspension in a statement in Benin on Thursday morning. ALSO READ: Kano Govt suspend 2 school principals for alleged absenteeism, negligence Ikhilor said the two-state top officials were suspended over allegations of “grave official and financial interactions”. Okpebholo suspends Edo Attorney-General and LG Service Commission Chairman According to him, the suspension, which takes immediate effect, is pending the conclusion of an investigation into the allegations. The SSG said; It is hereby announced for the information of the general public that Gov. Monday Okpebholo has approved the suspension from office of the Chairman of Edo Local Government Service Commission, Damian Lawani and Commissioner for Justice, Samson Os...
Post a Comment
Read more

List of America's one-term presidents & why they were not re-elected

U.S. President Joe Biden becomes the most recent entrant in a list of president who served for only one term. U.S. President Joe Biden announced that he would not be seeking re-election for a second term in the November 5, 2024 elections. Biden, in a statement said that he would be focused on completing his remaining term, endorsing his Vice President Kamala Harris as his most preferred nominee for the Democratic Party to take on former President Donald Trump. Joe Biden endorses Kamala Harris as Democrats' candidate after withdrawing from race [X:@JoeBiden] Biden now joins a list of former U.S. Presidents that only served for one term. John Adams (1797-1801) The second president of the United States, John Adams was a Founding Father who faced significant challenges during his presidency, including conflicts with political adversaries and foreign nations. His support for the Alien and Sedition Acts, perceived as a violation of civil liberties, contributed to his unpopulari...
Post a Comment
Read more

Tinubu appoints MKO Abiola's son, Jamiu as SSA on Linguistics & Foreign Matters

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Jamiu Abiola as the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Linguistics and Foreign Matters. The appointee is one of the children of the late Chief Moshood Kolawole Abiola , the winner of the 1993 presidential election annulled by General Ibrahim Babangida . According to a statement by Segun Imohiosen , the Director of Information and Public Relations, Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation on Wednesday, November 27, 2024, Jamiu's appointment took effect from November 14, 2024. Imohiosen said the appointment aligns with the provisions of the Certain Political and Judicial Office Holders (Salaries and Allowances, etc) Act 2008, as amended. Until his recent deployment, the appointee served as the Special Assistant to the President of Special Duties in the office of the Vice President. Tinubu tasked Jamiu to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs and bring his wealth of experience to bear in his new ...
Post a Comment
Read more