Insecurity: Ekiti Bye-Election Violence Indicative Of Worse Future Occurrences – Situation Room

• The organisation’s warning follows that of Governors Rotimi Akeredolu and Samuel Ortom on the need to address the country’s insecurity challenges before the 2023 general elections

A coalition of over 70 civil society organisations under the aegis of Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room on Wednesday said that the violence that erupted during the Ekiti Bye-Election last Saturday is a sign of worse occurrences in future elections, if the issue of insecurity remains unattended to.

The NCCSR raised this concern in a statement by its Convener, Ene Obi; and two co-conveners, Asma’Joda and James Ugochukwu, issued after a strategy meeting in Abuja to review its threshold document for the 2023 general elections.

According to the organisation, it was imperative to hold state governors to account on the use of their security votes, while “leaders who are no longer able to guarantee the welfare and security of citizens should resign from government.”

Read also: Insecurity: 2023 Elections Might Be Threatened, Akeredolu Warns FG

The statement read: “The security situation in Nigeria is deteriorating and manifesting in the form of banditry, kidnappings, posing a major threat for the 2023 general elections.

“Situation Room calls on the Federal Government to take immediate and effective steps and action to improve public safety and security as well as reassure vulnerable communities of credible measures of their protection.

“State governors should be held accountable regarding their utterances on the security situation, as well as the use of their state budgets to tackle insecurity.

“It is imperative to hold state governors to account on the use of their security votes at this time. Leaders who are no longer able to guarantee the welfare and security of citizens should resign from government.

“The violence that erupted in the bye-election in Ekiti State on Saturday, 20th March 2021, is indicative of worse violent occurrences in future elections if it remains unaddressed.”

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