The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has announced that it will deploy a total of 4,993 observers for the 2023 general elections, including trained and accredited observers, data clerks, fact-checkers, and social media monitors. This was revealed on Thursday at the opening of the CDD's Election Analysis Centre (EAC) and pre-election press briefing in Abuja.
The CDD also outlined five key issues that would determine the voting patterns and the outcome of the presidential election. The presidential election, which will be closely contested by four candidates - Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
The pre-election brief, signed by the EAC Chair, Professor Adele Jinadu, and CDD Director, Idayat Hassan, identified the five issues that could determine the elections as identity, insecurity, institutions, information disorder, and inter and intra-party squabbles.
The CDD observed that while Nigerians embraced multiple identities, the election campaign and the political conversation appeared to sharpen divisions along these lines. The group also noted that insecurity remained a significant challenge, especially in parts of the North and the Middle Belt.
The CDD further identified institutions as a significant factor in determining the outcome of the election, calling for the strengthening of independent institutions such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to ensure their impartiality and effectiveness.
The group also highlighted the danger of information disorder and the need for fact-checking and accountability in the media, as well as the importance of addressing inter and intra-party squabbles that could lead to violence and unrest.
“Subsequently, CDD pointed at insecurity as another critical issue, which could impact the conduct and outcome. According to the renowned think tank, all six geopolitical zones of the country are confronted by insecurity, which has led to the deployment of the Nigerian military across the federation.
“Northern states are engulfed in long-standing violence with extremist jihadist groups, criminal bandit gangs, and other non-state armed groups who are engaged in deadly attacks against local communities. In the south, civil unrest continues against the backdrop of ongoing violence between farmers and herders and secessionist agitators. The situation is further complicated by fuel and currency scarcity which is increasing economic hardships for the more than 130 million Nigerians classified as multidimensionally poor.
“Consequently, CDD identified the role of institutions as being crucial to conduct credible and transparent elections. These include INEC and the security agencies who are faced with a herculean challenge to manage logistics and secure the electoral terrain. The fourth factor identified is information disorder; CDD notes that whilst social media has opened avenues for citizens to engage more robustly with their prospective representatives, the volume of misinformation and disinformation circulating online can also lead to civil actions based on incorrect information.
“Trust is a scarce commodity in Nigeria and this fact is only being exacerbated by the volume of misleading content online.
“The fifth and final factor identified by the CDD is inter and intra-party squabbles. In the months leading up to general elections in Nigeria, violent events involving political parties increase as contestation intensifies within and between groups vying for power, despite all parties signing the National Peace Accord,” the statement read in part.