European Union observers express fears that insecurity could mar Nigerian elections

EUROPEAN Union (EU) officials have expressed concerns about the incessant security challenges in Nigeria warning that if not urgently addressed they might hinder next month's general elections.

In February, Nigeria goes to the polls to elect a president, members of the National Assembly, state governors and all members of the 36 state houses of assemblies. Nigeria in currently being wracked by insecurity as kidnappers, armed robbers, armed Fulani cattle herdsmen and terrorist sects are all running riot at the moment.

Expressing concerns that this insecurity could hamper the polls, the EU raised doubts about the workability of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System in all parts of the country, especially in the rural areas. Rudolf Elbling, the team leader of the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Phase Two Programme, expressed these reservations during a recent seminar in Abuja,.

Mr Elbling said:“For a country like Nigeria, elections always have the potential of creating unrest and instability. For a country the size of Nigeria, that is a very dangerous thing not only for Nigerians but for the whole region.

"So, the insecurity issue for the last one or two years is of concern for everybody and it’s a concern for every Nigerian because life has changed. You cannot move around as you could so there is a huge potential for this to impact on the elections."

He described the innovations introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission  (Inec) to the electoral process as quite substantial. However, Mr Elbling added that insecurity, which he described as the basic problem, might prevent Inec from conducting elections in all parts of the country.

"This would create a lot of legal implications for the entire process. There are a lot of potential legal implications which subsequently would have a lot of political implications and which would have a lot of potential to disrupt the poll but of course, you know, logistics is also and always an issue.

“I’m afraid that the insecurity will add to this problem and complicate issues more. Also, will the election technology hold up?," Mr Elbling added.