Creating a Template for Successful Elections in Nigeria, WANEP Launch Virtual Election Situation Room

 

By Isaac Eranga

As part of effort towards making the 2023 General Elections in Nigeria peaceful, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP)- Nigeria has launched a Virtual Situation Room. 

On 25 February 2023, Nigeria will hold presidential and federal parliamentary elections, followed by gubernatorial and state legislative elections on 11 March 2023. 

Speaking, the national coordinator of WANEP - Nigeria, Chief Mrs. Bridget Osakwe said there are some reasons for optimism that the upcoming polls will be an improvement on the 2019 elections. According to the Eastern Nigeria Red Cap Chief, "it is true that pockets of violence and several irregularities marred the elections, many observers believe that these problems had not been widespread enough to seriously undermine the outcome of the 2019 elections. 

"However, a look at Nigeria’s political history, reveals that the country has witnessed series of electoral violence even after the return to civilian rule in 1999 that ended fifteen years of military dictatorship (International Crisis Group, 2014). These violent incidents in the pre, during and post-election phases are linked to issues relating to the conduct, transparency or legitimacy issues, abuse of power and manipulation of electioneering processes. The consequences of violence have led to deaths, displacement and destruction. 

"According to the Civil Society Election Report 2019, the 2019 general elections adjudged to be one of the freest and fairest election in Nigeria was marred by unprecedented election-related violence, with an official death toll of estimated 626 persons killed across Nigeria in the six months between the start of the election campaign and the commencement of the general and supplementary elections, as reported by Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and property valued at over 40 Billion Naira destroyed. An   assessment of the 2019 general elections showed a process with more peaceful outcome than what analysts in and outside Nigeria speculated due to the hangover of the 2015’s episode and the fickle security environment in which the election took place. 

"Ahead of the 2023 elections, political violence has continued to bedevil the country. Among its most worrisome manifestations are the attacks on offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which clearly aim to undermine the electoral process itself. History has primed observers to be concerned about post-election violence. But the prospects of disarray due to attacks on election infrastructure, or of significant numbers of Nigerian voters determining that it simply is not safe to vote on election day, are also scenarios that call for urgent attention. 

"As contribution towards ensuring credible and violence free elections in Nigeria, the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), a Non-governmental organization working on issues of peace and human security in Nigeria, proposes to organize 24 hours Virtual Election Situation Room on February 25 and March 11, 2023 respectively. The situation room will comprise of 12 conflict analysts that will observe and provide situational analysis of possible electoral violence within states in six geopolitical zones of Nigeria during the elections. 

"The analysts will work with INEC accredited observers in the 36 states of Nigeria that will give real time field reports and updates of trend and patterns of incidents that could heighten tension and lead to possible outbreak or escalation of violence during and after the elections. The analysts in turn will receive, analyze and report to the situation room real time these incidences as well as post situational updates using social media platforms e.g facebook, twitter etc.  It is expected that the Virtual Election Situation Room will support the WANEP National Early Warning System (NEWS), ECOWAS Early Warning System (ECOWARN) and the African Union – Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) in taking rapid decision on prevention and mitigation of possible violence in the election", Chief Mrs. Osakwe said.

Also speaking, the Head of Program, WANEP Nigeria - Mrs. Patience Ikpeh-Obaulo said the situation room is orhanised to monitornthe General Elections in Nigeria and Report of the electoral process available for policy engagement on peace and security issued in Nigeria. 

According to her, "there will be publication of Policy Brief on factors that contributed to the outcome of the general elections produced and disseminated to key stakeholders.

"There will also be publication of report on experiences of the Virtual Election Situation Room Project available for replication by Civil Society Organisations", she said.

Accprding to Patience Ikpeh-Obaulo, at the end of the virtual situation room, each analyst will be required to send in their report to WANEP – Nigeria not later than 10pm Saturday 25, February 2023. Contributions can be sent to: pikpehobaulo@wanep.org,  oworagbornkifan@gmail.com