The most important event that Nigerians are currently anticipating is the 2023 general elections when democracy would offer a fresh opportunity to overhaul the government.

However, the growing rate of insecurity in the country has indicated danger ahead of the general elections.

Despite efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari to curtail the ugly trend, bandits and other criminal elements have continued to multiply, posing threats to lives and properties of Nigerians.

More worrisome is the Northern part of the country where banditry has relatively become a ‘lucrative business’.

The era when elections are conducted with everyone adhering strictly to electoral rules is gradually fading away in most parts of the country.

The two run-off elections conducted in Ekiti and Abia State since the spike in insecurity, have signalled danger ahead of the 2023 elections.

Recall the recent bye-election for Ekiti East Constituency which ended abruptly, as thugs opened fire on innocent electorates, leading to the death of three persons, while several others were injured.

Two police officers, an officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps, a corps member and a presiding officer, as well as others were also shot during the mayhem.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Adeniran Tella, subsequently announced that the election was inconclusive owing to the violence that characterised the exercise in some polling units.

DAILY POST recalls that Abia State Government before the just concluded Aba North and South Federal Constituency by-election raised the alarm over an alleged influx of hoodlums into the State to cause havoc during the exercise.

Despite the security beefed up in the constituency by the state government in a bid to forestall plans by the hoodlums who were allegedly sponsored by a political party, some polling units still witnessed violence during the exercise.

Voting was disrupted at the Umuola hall polling unit in ward eight due to an explosion that caused tension in the area.

This is even as Mike Ozoemena, a collation officer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the election, was reportedly abducted by unknown gunmen.

In a similar vein, Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State had on March 23 said the 2023 general election may be sabotaged by insecurity if it is not tacked before the election time.

The governor, who was recently attacked by suspected herdsmen, made the expression when he visited President Muhammadu Buhari to brief him on the security situation in Benue.

According to him: “there will be no 2023 elections in Nigeria if insecurity persists”.

A businessman and part-time lecturer in Ben-Poly, Abah Sunday, who spoke to DAILY POST from Benue State, accused the Buhari government of deliberately refusing to tackle the security challenges.