Nigeria’s Off-Cycle Elections and the Impending Violence

Off-cycle elections are held outside the regular elections calendar. General elections take place in the same year in Nigeria as part of the country’s four-year election cycle. However, off-cycle elections are held when a vacancy arises due to a resignation, court nullification, impeachment, or other reasons. Following Nigeria’s recently concluded general elections, another round of elections is set for November 2023. Gubernatorial elections are scheduled to hold in Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 18 political parties fielded candidates in Kogi, 17 in Imo, and 16 in Bayelsa. Per Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, public campaigning has been slated to commence on Wednesday, June 14, 2023, and end on Tuesday, November 9, 2023 (24 hours before election day).

In this edition of the Nextier SPD Policy Weekly, Nextier examines the forthcoming off-cycle elections in Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa. It discusses the actors, political development, the dominant conflict types in the off-cycle states, and the possible use of violence by the political class and their supporters to attain political positions.

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