A coalition of more than 80 human‑rights organisations, operating under the Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR) in Abuja, warned on Thursday that past electoral blunders could reoccur during the upcoming governorship and State House of Assembly elections. The coalition identified Lagos, Rivers, Imo, Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu and Kano as potential flashpoints and called on security agencies to act swiftly to prevent violence.
The NCSSR announced that it will deploy 2,340 election observers—including 131 persons living with disabilities—with at least three observers in each of the 774 local government areas, excluding the Federal Capital Territory. Convener Ene Obi read a preliminary statement on the pre‑election environment, joined by co‑conveners Asma’u Joda and James Ugochukwu, and Clement Nwankwo, Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre and former NCSSR convener.
The Situation Room expects the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to have learned from the challenges of the February 25, 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections and to have made adequate arrangements to avoid repeating those gaps. It specifically urges INEC to resolve the glitches that crippled the Result Viewing Portal, address polling‑unit failures and late openings, and remedy shortages of ad‑hoc staff. Additional measures called for include improved transportation, extra training for staff, rapid reconfiguration and deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, and timely public communication of any electoral challenges or changes.
Obi emphasized that security agencies must act, noting the lack of response even where individuals have been indicted for election‑related violence. He appealed to the people of Rivers State to maintain peace and to protect the few women candidates on the ballot. Security forces are tasked with safeguarding election officials, voters, polling agents, observers, media and service providers, and must prevent voter suppression, voting disruptions and outright violence that marred previous elections.
The Situation Room also reminded the Nigeria Police and other security agencies to remain non‑partisan, professional, and free from actions that could be perceived as supporting any political interest. It called on INEC to communicate clearly with Nigerians, urging the public to hold the commission accountable and to let the electoral process work.
While acknowledging an increase in smear campaigns and desperation—particularly on social media—the Situation Room urged political parties to conduct themselves peacefully and to discourage supporter violence. Parties are reminded to respect the peace accord they signed. The coalition will monitor violent incidents across the states, and perpetrators and masterminds will be identified for investigation and punitive action under Section 92 (5‑8) of the Electoral Act 2022.
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