Sporadic violence as Nigerian states vote for governors

ABUJA: Violence and vote-rigging claims marred elections for governors in three Nigerian states on Saturday despite a heavy security presence.

State elections are fiercely contested in Nigeria where governors are powerful figures and clashes, killings and voter intimidation are common. Tense political rivalries played out in Bayelsa state in the south, Imo in the southeast and Kogi in the centre of the country.

The electoral commission said one of its officials was abducted, while monitoring groups said two people were shot, including a man allegedly running off with a ballot box. Counting began in the afternoon and election results were expected later on Saturday. The voting took place amid sweeping travel restrictions and the police deployed helicopters and gunboats, while the army sent troops to “reinforce security”.

On Friday, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said an official was “abducted while waiting to board a boat” in Bayelsa, while another boat carrying election documents capsized, affecting more than 5,000 voters.

The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), which observed the polls, said a person was shot in Famgbe, near Bayelsa’s state capital Yenagoa. It did not provide further details. The CDD warned of low turnout at certain polling stations, saying some people were “scared of coming out to vote due to fear of violence”.

It also described widespread vote-buying, with some people exchanging their ballots for handouts of rice.

In Imo state, local media reported scuffles as votes were collected.

The APC state governor is facing intense criticism from Nigeria’s main labour union, which has threatened to call a strike after claiming Imo authorities were behind an attack on its leader last week.