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Nigeria's electoral commission has said it will hold February's elections as planned despite the threats of insecurity and attacks on its facilities and staff. Since Nigeria's last elections in 2019, the commission has recorded more than 50 attacks on its facilities across 15 states. Observers say such attacks could hinder voting if they continue in the run-up to the polls. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja, Nigeria.
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LanguageEnglish
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((PLAYBOOK SLUG: Nigeria Elections Security (TV/R)
HEADLINE: Officials Say Nigerian Elections on Track Despite Violence
TEASER:
PUBLISHED: 1/26/23 at 8:35 p.m.
BYLINE: Timothy Obiezu
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: Abuja, Nigeria
VIDEOGRAPHER: Timothy Obiezu
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: DLJ, MAS
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _X_ RADIO _X_
TRT: 3:00
VID APPROVED BY: Jepsen
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: )
((Intro))
[[Nigeria's electoral commission has said it will hold February's elections as planned despite the threats of insecurity and attacks on its facilities and staff. Since Nigeria's last elections in 2019, the commission has recorded more than 50 attacks on its facilities across 15 states. Observers say such attacks could hinder voting if they continue in the run-up to the polls. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja, Nigeria.]]
((NATS – ))
((NAT SOUNDS – CANDIDATES ARRIVING))
One by one, presidential candidates, party members and observers arrived for the signing of a National Peace pact ahead of February 25 polls.
It's a measure undertaken to foster fair play among political parties and their supporters before, during and after the elections.
In recent weeks, Nigeria has seen an escalation in clashes during campaign events and attacks on facilities of Nigeria’s Independent National Election Commission or INEC.
((Radio track: …Samson Itodo is a director at the Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) Africa.))
((Samson Itodo, YIAGA Africa Director)) ((English))
"These attacks on INEC offices impedes on INEC's ability to conduct elections and this is where we have a major source of concern."
((NARRATOR))
The Electoral Commission has reported at least 53 attacks and arsons on its facilities in the last four years.
In December, four INEC offices were burned, setting back preparations for the elections.
But despite the security threats, officials are not deterred.
((Radio track: …says Festus Okoye, INEC 's Commissioner for Information and Voter Education))
((Festus Okoye, Independent National Election Commission)) ((English))
"The various security agencies have assured us that they have the capacity to secure the country enough to allow us to conduct a very good election. So we keep on liaising with them, and we keep on receiving security advise and information from them.”
On INEC's books, there are more than 93 million registered voters, including 12 million new voters registered in the past year.
In the past two general elections, only about 40 percent of registered voters cast ballots due to apathy and lack of confidence in the electoral process.
INEC has been removing ineligible voters from the voter rolls and will deploy technologically assisted voter systems with fingerprints and facial identification features during the polls, says Okoye.
((Radio track: same as above))
((Festus Okoye, Independent National Election Commission)) ((English))
"We had 14 critical items that we felt we must accomplish before the election. Out of those 14 items, we've already accomplished eleven. So, in terms of our preparations, we're getting ready by the day.”
But some citizens say the readiness did not include their centers.
((Radio track:...Among them is Abuja resident, Emmanuel Oke, who has yet to collect his permanent voter's card.))
((Emmanuel Oke, Abuja Resident)) ((English))
"Seventy percent of the people that are coming here, they are not finding their voter's cards, likewise me. I didn't see my own. They said that my own is not printed, so I don't think I have hope of voting."
((NARRATOR))
In recent years, Nigeria has struggled to halt violence by Islamist militants and armed kidnappers, in addition to the attacks on the electoral system.
Many here say the next president must address these problems for good.
((Timothy Obiezu, for VOA News, Abuja Nigeria))
NewsML Media TopicsArts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
NetworkVOA
Location (dateline)Abuja, Nigeria
Embargo DateJanuary 26, 2023 21:43 EST
BylineTimothy Obiezu
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America, Voice of America - English
