The Center for Democracy and Development (CDD) says fear of
the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and “unknown gunmen” may lead to low
voter turnout in the November 6 governorship election in Anambra.
Attacks and killings have been on the rise in the state in
recent months.
Although IPOB has denied being responsible for the attacks,
its sit-at-home order has heightened tension in the state and other parts of
the south-east.
In a briefing issued ahead of the election, CDD said the
possible low turn out of voters would weaken the mandate of the elected
governor.
“Despite the
likelihood that elections in some form will be held in Anambra on 6 November,
it is also likely that the context of insecurity, a measure of latent public
support for IPOB’s cause, the heavy deployment of security forces, and the
acrimonious political competition leading up to the poll will depress voter
turnout, leading to an even higher level of voter apathy than has typically
been witnessed in Anambra elections,” the brief reads.
“This is a concerning outlook for several reasons. The first
is that high voter abstention rates mean that instances of election malpractice
such as vote-buying or rigging — which have proven impossible to eradicate in
Nigerian elections — will have an even more dramatic impact on the final
outcome.
“Secondly, the heightened possibility of low voter turnout
risks weakening the mandate of Anambra’s next governor, given the likelihood
that he will be elected by only a fraction of the entire voting population.
“Such a circumstance
will serve to increase the already high degree of alienation a substantial
proportion of citizens feel towards the state, as indicated in the emergence of
non-state armed groups such as IPOB and the “unknown gunmen”.
“Finally, high-levels of voter abstention would likely also
serve to reinforce the argument repeatedly advanced by groups such as IPOB that
the Nigerian electoral system is fundamentally flawed and needs to be
jettisoned as a whole.”
CDD said in light of the worrying repercussions of a failed,
or widely boycotted election, relevant stakeholders should exhaust all
reasonable avenues to ensure that the democratic franchise of Anambra voters is
protected and delivered.
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