With only a few days until Nigeria’s 2023 elections, a new report has identified states where election manipulation may occur.
WITHIN NIGERIA learned that the report titled “Election Manipulation Risk Index (EMRI),” which was released on Friday, identified states that were at high, medium, and low risk of election manipulation.
Twenty-two states, according to the EMRI report, are at high risk of election manipulation. Sokoto, Kwara, Oyo, Kaduna, Lagos, Oyo, Ekiti, Niger, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa, Adamawa, Taraba, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom, Abia, Enugu, Anambra, Imo, Rivers, Plateau, and Bauchi are among them.
Zamfara, Kebbi, Ogun, Yobe, Borno, Cross River, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Edo, Delta, and Bayelsa are among the twelve states identified as being at medium risk of election manipulation, according to the report.
Two states, Gombe and Ondo, as well as the FCT, were classified as having a low risk of election tampering.
The report’s authors, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), stated that they relied on observations, content analysis, and expert interviews based on six variables.
They produced the report based on their research in order to reduce election manipulation, facilitate strategic election planning, and promote citizen oversight of the electoral process.
The central objective of the EMRI is to facilitate systematic and coherent monitoring of the insidious nature of election manipulation in the build-up to Nigeria’s 2023 general elections,” the report reads.
The EMRI indicators reflect a comprehensive understanding of the electoral process and the interplay of actors in the election value chain.
Though limited in scope, the EMRI can be used by election stakeholders to spotlight issues likely to impact the integrity of the 2023 general elections.
It should be seen as a rapid scanning tool, rather than an in-depth solution for threats of election manipulation, the report claimed.
Yiaga Africa, Center for Journalism Innovation and Development, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation in Africa (CAPPA), SBM Intelligence, Dataphye, International Press Centre, and others contributed to the report.
The Institute for Media and Society, SOS Children’s Villages, Justice, Development, Peace Movement, ElectHer and Policy, and Legal Advocacy Centre are among the others. Partners for Electoral Reform, The Albino Foundation, The Kukah Centre, Enough is Enough Nigeria, and the Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance are among the organizations involved.