The just-concluded general election in Nigeria was marked by incidents of violence and intimidation, according to the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM).
The group’s second preliminary report, released on Monday, stated that at least 21 people died on election day due to violent incidents targeted at voters, election officials, citizen observers, and journalists in various locations across the country.
The EU-EOM also reported that there were multiple incidents of thuggery, intimidation, and vote-buying that disrupted the polls in several voting units. The report further stated that the post-election environment was largely peaceful, with parties appealing to their supporters for calm, but violence abruptly increased a few days before the elections, resulting in a dozen attacks and abductions of candidates.
Journalists were also attacked while carrying out their duty, and law enforcement agencies failed to prosecute the attackers, according to the EU-EOM. The group called for more action to protect freedom of expression in the country.
