2023 general elections may not hold if insecurity continues – APC Chieftain

An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain and Former commissioner in Niger State; Jonathan Vatsa has expressed doubts about the country conducting a general election amid growing security challenges.

Speaking in Minna on Monday in a statement titled:  ‘As the nation bleed, can Nigerians have credible elections in 2023’, he said if government decides to go ahead with the election amid the worsening security situation across the country, such election will not be credible.

“Nigerians should know that such election would never be credible. It will amount to sitting in one place and writing election result, and the people will definitely resist such manipulation,” he said.

“No part of this country is safe. People are being killed like flies. They have abandoned their ancestral home for fear and have no hope of returning soon,” he stated.

According to Vatsa, no credible election could be conducted in Niger State without addressing the issue of banditry. “Six or seven of the 25 local councils of the state are under siege by bandits. So which credible election will you conduct in such local council without addressing the security challenges there. It is not possible today. There are over 20,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across these local councils.”

“The state is overwhelmed with this situation and nobody is listening to the governor. So, if you want to conduct elections in these affected communities, where are the voters?” he asked.