Kukah Centre highlights 15 areas at risk of election violence in Osun

The National Peace Committee, through The Kukah Centre, has found 15 local government areas in Osun State that are at risk of violence ahead of the governorship election on August 15. They warned that these areas could see problems that threaten a peaceful election.

The findings were shared during a meeting in Osogbo on Friday. This meeting was part of a bilateral engagement and had support from the European Union through its programme for democratic governance in Nigeria. Representatives from the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, security agencies, and other stakeholders were present.

The report shows that organised political violence, institutional tensions, electoral offences, and misinformation are serious risks. These issues need ongoing cooperation among stakeholders and proactive measures to prevent conflict.

After the report presentation, Asabe Ndahi, Project Manager of The Kukah Centre, pointed out that Osogbo and Irewole are the two local government areas that are at critical risk. She also mentioned Iwo, Boripe, Ife Central, and Ife East as high-risk areas.

Ndahi explained that the report was shared with security agencies and other stakeholders. The goal is to help them create strategies to reduce security threats and encourage people to vote on election day.

"We are here to present to them the report of findings from our Election Security Information Hub, which is based at The Kukah Centre, Abuja, and get feedback from them on what they will be doing as we progress into the election," she said.

"Based on our data, we have about 15 local governments that are between critical, high, and moderate risk. Particularly, Osogbo and Irewole local government areas fall within the critical risk index.

"In the last six weeks, we have deployed field observers to gather data on security incidents in Osun State, so the risk index for Osogbo and Irewole is high. We also have other high-risk local governments like Iwo, Boripe, Ife Central, and Ife East. We have tracked these areas and found critical flashpoints ahead of the election.

"We are discussing with security agencies to see how to reduce incidents as we approach the election. We want to make sure election day is safe for everyone to vote," she added.

During the meeting, participants talked about the issues raised in the report. They restated their commitment to ensuring peaceful elections. They also urged political parties, their supporters, and residents to reject violence and uphold democratic values to keep political competition peaceful throughout the election period.

Earlier, The Kukah Centre held a training workshop for 45 field observers to monitor election security and compliance before the August 15 governorship poll.

During the training in Osogbo, Vicham Hajara Waziri, the centre’s Project Manager, said the observers came from the state’s 30 local government areas. She mentioned that high-risk areas would have more than one field observer to improve monitoring and reporting of election-related security issues.