Nigeria must tackle pre- and post-election violence – KDI report

By Abubakar Yunusa

A new report by the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) has called for urgent attention to pre-election and post-election violence in Nigeria, warning that focusing only on election day security does not reflect the true state of electoral integrity in the country.

Speaking in Abuja on Friday at the unveiling of the Nigeria Election Violence Report for the 2024 Edo and Ondo governorship elections, KDI’s Executive Director, Bukola Idowu, stressed the need for a broader approach to election security.

“Our report today shows that while election day was peaceful, the entire election process—before and after—was not. We recorded incidents of violence, including the killing of a policeman in Edo State before the election and another person in Ondo’s Akoko area,” Idowu said.

The report highlights that heavy security deployment on election day often creates a false sense of peace, as the most critical threats occur in the lead-up to the polls.

“Election security is a process. What happens a month before an election is crucial to the outcome on election day,” Idowu added.

On his part,the Chairman of the Committee on Electoral Reform, Hon. Adebayo Balogun, revealed that lawmakers are working on an Electoral Offences Tribunal Commission bill.

“Once passed, this bill will remove the responsibility of handling electoral offences from INEC and establish a dedicated commission to address malpractice and violence,” Balogun explained.

The bill, which is set for a public hearing soon, is expected to be passed into law by the end of July.

“We need professionals in security and election management to handle electoral offences. This reform will create a level playing field and ensure free, fair, and credible elections in Nigeria,” Balogun stated.