IPOB, Terrorists Major Threat To 2023 Elections – Ex-Army Chief

By Oladosu Oluwagbenga

General Abdulrahman Dambazau, a former chief of the army staff and minister of the interior, asserts that the activities of terrorists and members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) constitute a severe threat to the 2023 elections.

He said that the lack of security would have an impact on the election, that certain villages would still be relocated, and that terrorists would continue to attack civilian targets, leading IEC officials to worry.

He spoke on Tuesday at the Blueprint Newspapers Annual Public Lecture in Abuja while presenting a paper titled “2023 Politics: National Security and Nigeria’s Stability.”

Dambazau said, “Would insecurity affect the 2023 elections? Surely it would, because some of the community would still be displaced and the terrorists would likely continue attacks on soft targets, INEC officials and ad-hoc staff would be highly apprehensive despite the assurance by the government to protect them. Access to polling units in border communities may pose some difficulties. This is a more reason adequate security must be provided.

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“As we also prepare for the 2023 elections, we should also think of the possibility of an attack on the election processes by violent groups. The security threats against the 2023 elections are not limited to the activities of terror groups in the North but also the proscribed IPOB in the South East.

“The group had earlier threatened that there would be no election in the region in 2023 and insisted that all they want is to secede from Nigeria. They must not be allowed to carry out such a threat.

Furthermore, he emphasized the pressing need for change in the security industry, claiming that there is no cohesion among the numerous security organizations.

Dambazau said, “There’s a need for reforms and the reason they are necessary is that there appears to be no synergy among the security operatives in terms of cooperation, coordination and collaboration while carrying out their activities.

“Rather, they operate in silos, they hoard information and are reluctant to share intelligence as if they are in competition. Also, there is poor security governance, making accountability and transparency almost impossible and there is duplication of efforts leading to wastage of resources.”