The 2023 governorship and state assembly elections will go down as one of the most brutal with violence since the advent of the Fourth Republic as no fewer than 27 people died during the polls, Iwitensslive can report.
Governorship elections were held in 28 states as eight other states fall within the off-season cycle but state house of assembly polls took place in all 36 states of the federation.
Violence characterised the process in almost all the states but fatalities were recorded in 10 states including Lagos, Rivers, Benue, and Akwa Ibom.
There were cases of intense violence in Ondo where a cop was shot, Imo where some staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission were abducted but later rescued by the security forces.
There are cases of shootings in Osun, Ogun, Kano, Oyo, Enugu, Taraba and Bayelsa.
One person died in each state of Kebbi, Ebonyi, Cross River, Katsina and Niger. Two fatalities were recorded in Akwa Ibom State just as three persons were reportedly killed in Lagos State.
Five persons have so been killed in the election that took place in Delta State on Saturday.
Rivers and Benue States accounted for most of the casualties recorded in the elections. The states recorded six deaths each in the post that recorded the brutal way.
In the melee that dogged the elections in Lagos, one person suspected to be a thug loyal to the All Progressives Congress was killed by some unidentified people in the Okota area of the state while trying to snatch a ballot box.
Police were also said to have shot dead another thug who was fleeing with the election material.
Iwitnesslive had reported that shootings occurred in many places across the state including Oshodi, Apapa and Ajeromi.
Our correspondent reports that sporadic shootings were recorded around the Shogunle axis of Osodi as thugs scared voters away. A similar situation was recorded in Ijora where thugs suspected to be loyal to the ruling APC were shooting into the air.
Thugs allegedly attacked some voters at polling units 111 and 112 at Iba Estate in Ojo local government another set of hoodlums believed to be that of APC were seen issuing death threats to voters at Sabo Oniba also in Ojo.
The situation is not different in Lakowe in Eti Osa LGA, Apapa Iganmu, and Fadeyi in Lagos Mainland where thugs told non-APC voters to remain at home.
It was more like a war situation in Rivers State where six persons died during the elections. Two deaths were reported in Bori, Khana Local Government Area, while three persons were claimed in Ogbakiri Community, Emohua LGA. APC Campaign Coordinator in Ahoada-West Local Government Area of Rivers State, Chisom Lennard, was also killed.
The three persons that lost their lives were said to be thugs who invaded Ogbakiri Community and attempted to cart away sensitive materials.
They met their waterloo when the military stormed the area and shot them to death while trying to flee.
The two persons were reportedly killed in Ward 12, Ubimini community, in Emohua Local Government Area of the state. A woman and a vigilante member.
The APC coordinator in Ahoada-West Local Government Area of Rivers State was kidnapped at his polling unit by suspected gunmen who disguised with police uniform and his body was found on Sunday riddled with bullets.
Six persons were killed in various parts of Benue by security forces for trying to snatch ballot boxes. Some of them were seen wearing military camouflage to perpetrate the crime.
Another two persons were gunned down at the INEC office in Ibiono Ibom under circumstances that have not been clarified. They were said to be the loyalists of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) governorship candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Senator Bassey Akpan.
In Ebonyi, the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ezza North Local Government Area of the state, Peter Nweke, was reportedly beaten to death by suspected thugs.
Further analysis of the casualties data also showed that South-South recorded the highest number of deaths which is 14 and was followed by North Central with seven.
Only three deaths were recorded in the whole of the South-West while the North-West had just two casualties. Only one life was claimed in the South-East while no election-related fatality was recorded in the North-East.
