Nigeria is preparing for its next general elections scheduled for 2023. While the country’s next President, Vice President, and members of the Senate will be elected on 25 February 2023, Nigeria would hold another round of election on March 11 2023 for twenty-eight gubernatorial positions alongside members of the state houses of assembly in all 36 states.
To this regard, the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC) lifted the lid on political campaigns for parties to popularize their respective candidates. The leading presidential candidate including Peter Obi of the Labour Party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All-Progressive Congress (APC) and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have held rallies, attended interviews, released manifestos, among other activities to sway voters.
In the midst of all these politicking, there appear to be imminent threats to this once in four years event. They are insecurity and flooding.
Insecurity
All through the year, terrorist groups plaguing Nigeria, including ISWAP and Boko Haram, have coordinated series of attacks in several parts of the country. These have left citizens more fearful than ever.
However, most recently, the US and UK advised its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel or movement because of the possibility of terrorist strikes in Nigeria.
These foreign powers have consequently ordered the evacuation of non-diplomatic staffs and families out of the country’s capital due to heightened threats of a terrorist strike.
A sting operation by the Department of State Services operatives and foreign security agencies earlier in the week arrested two suspected terrorists at the Trademore Estate in the Lugbe area of the Federal Capital Territory.
Although Nigerian security agencies have continued to assure citizens of their safety, it is no news that the security situation in the country is worrying and the security threat could be real.
Flooding
The last report by the federal government on the flooding in the country revealed that the crisis has internally displaced about 1.4 million persons, injured 2,776, killed 612 people while causing partial damages to 181,600 houses. The flood has also completely damaged 123,807 houses, partially damaged 176,852 hectares of farmlands, while submerging 392,399 hectares of farmlands.
The flood plaguing 33 states out of the 36 states in the country has also forced many registered voters to leave their localities while wrecking assigned polling units.
With analysts hinting that the flood might carry on till the end of November, political observers are concerned about how much disruptions these might cause to the elections less than four months away.