Ahead of the forthcoming governorship elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states, the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts (ASSPT) and the Centre for Public Policy and Research have called on President Bola Tinubu and his National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to take proactive measures to guarantee peaceful, free and fair elections in the states before and after the elections.

The groups stressed the need to ensure that off-season elections do not worsen the insecurity crises in the states.

They alleged that oftentimes these security problems have been leveraged by incumbents to rig elections to remain in power.

Speaking at a policy roundtable with the theme, ‘Towards Governorship Elections in Imo, Kogi And Bayelsa,’ at the weekend in Abuja, Executive Director of ASSPT, Dr. Sam Amadi, observed that some of the states, like Imo, are under serious security threat with regard to recent sad incidence of killing of Nigerian soldiers.

Amadi added that if elections are manipulated, as they have always been, they could cause a spike in insecurity, particularly in Imo State.

He explained that the workshop is to examine the nexus between insecurity, the demonstrated failings of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the quality of free and fair election in these three states, especially in Imo where insecurity seems to have worsened after the 2020 election when the Supreme Court removed the then governor, Emeka Ihedioha, declaring the current governor, Hope Uzodimma, winner.

He said: “So, insecurity worsened because of political fallouts. The issue for us today is what we should do to ensure that these off-season elections do not worsen the insecurity crises in the states. We know that if elections are manipulated, as they have been, they could spike into new levels of insecurity, particularly in Imo State.”