The arrival of truckloads of individuals identified as suspected herders in Kwara State’s border communities has triggered security and political alarms as the national voter registration process continues.
Reports indicate that the influx into remote areas like Kaiama and Baruten local government areas, which border the Republic of Benin, raises fears of potential electoral fraud and escalating security risks.
Kwara State, which shares a porous international border with the Republic of Benin, of recent has experienced deteriorating security, including recurrent herder-farmer clashes, banditry, and kidnappings, prompting staff from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to abandon some duty posts.
The Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise is a critical process ahead of the 2027 general elections. Community leaders describe the large-scale arrival of individuals, identified locally as Fulani herders, as a mobilisation to compromise the integrity of the electoral registration process
Meanwhile, INEC is mandated by law to register all eligible Nigerian citizens residing in or working within any given local government area. The commission emphasizes that existing guidelines require registration officers to verify identity and residency properly to safeguard against unauthorized registration, suggesting the process itself is secure if implemented correctly.
Leave a comment