Armed men threatened and harassed reporters, security forces barred journalists from entering electoral buildings, and demonstrators threw stones at reporters trying to cover the elections, according to news reports and journalists who spoke to CPJ.

The elections in these two states followed nationwide elections in February, which were also marred by violence against journalists, as CPJ reported at the time.

“Journalists play an indispensable role in the conduct of credible elections and should never be the subject of threats, violence, or harassment,” said Angela Quintal, CPJ’s Africa program coordinator, from Washington, D.C. “Nigerian authorities must investigate all allegations made by journalists about interference in their work covering the November 16 elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.”

In Kogi state, Chinedu Asadu, a reporter with the privately owned The Cable online newspaper, told CPJ in a phone call that police officers seized his cell phone for 15 minutes when he attempted to take photos of a politician giving money to women waiting to cast their votes. After police returned his phone, Asadu said another officer made threatening comments, and he feared the officer would harm him, so he left the polling place.

Lolafunke Ogunlolu, a journalist with the privately owned Africa Independent Television broadcaster, told CPJ in a phone call that a group of armed men threatened to beat her after they saw her film them assaulting a woman at a polling station in Aiyetorogbede, Kogi state.

Ogunlolu said the men, whose identities she could not determine, demanded she delete all the pictures and videos she took of them. Ogunlolu said one man was about to hit her and take her phone when another stopped him after recognizing Ogunlolu as a reporter with the station.

Two journalists with the privately owned Splash FM radio station, Tobi Kusimo and David Bello, told CPJ in phone conversations that a group of demonstrators in Aiyetoro Gbede, a town in Kogi state, threw stones at their van when they tried to interview a polling officer. The journalists said they fled after demonstrators broke their rear windshield and otherwise damaged their vehicle, and appeared angry enough to kill them.

“If we had waited for two additional seconds, only God knows what would have happened,” Bello told CPJ.

In a separate case, Sam Egwu, a journalist with the privately owned newspaper The Nation, and Sunday Amachi, a reporter with the government-owned Kogi State Radio broadcaster, told CPJ via phone that a group of demonstrators in Anyigba, in Kogi state, surrounded their car while they drove to a polling place and threw stones at their vehicle.

“In fact, they destroyed our vehicle. It was a miracle we left that place unhurt,” said Egwu.

Egwu and Amachi told CPJ that protesters alleging election interference barricaded all exit routes and surrounded their car. Protesters climbed on their car in an attempt to force the journalists out, but the demonstrators dispersed after security forces fired their weapons, Egwu said.

In Bayelsa state, four unidentified individuals wielding canes and bottles intercepted Adejumor Kabir, a reporter with the Premium Times newspaper, while he was traveling to the main office of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, he told CPJ via phone. The individuals forced his driver to leave, and drove Kabir to an isolated area in Opolo, in Yenagoa, the state capital, where they interrogated him for two hours, he told CPJ. Kabir said his abductors had mistaken him for a government official and, after questioning and accusing him of manipulating election results, they released him.

Kabir then traveled to the Independent National Electoral Commission office to cover the collation of the results, but police blocked him and other reporters from entering the building, even though they identified themselves as journalists, Kabir said. He said the officers told the journalists that they were working on orders from above not to admit members of the press.

CPJ’s calls and text messages to Oluwole Ozassi-Uzi, the Independent National Electoral Commission spokesperson, went unanswered. The head of voter education in Bayelsa State, Wilfred Ifogah, told journalists that security officials “misunderstood INEC instructions” when they bared reporters from entering the commission’s office, according to a report by Premium Times.

In a text message to CPJ, Nigerian police spokesperson Frank Mba said he was not aware of any assaults on journalists and said, “The safety and wellbeing of journalists and media practitioners generally was of paramount importance to the Nigeria Police Force.”

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The IGP, according to NAN gave the assurance on Saturday in Lafia at an event held in his honour by the Lafia Progressive Forum.

Adamu stressed that the police would draw from its experiences from the 2019 general elections to ensure free, fear and credible elections in the two states.

He pledged  that the police force will give the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the necessary support to ensure that a level playing field is provided for all political parties.

Adamu who expressed gratitude to the people of Lafia for honouring him, also  reassured that the police under his leadership would continue to do everything possible to combat criminality in all parts of the country.

“There is nothing good than for one to be celebrated by his people at home. I will continue to be a good ambassador of my community by discharging my duties with sincerity and the fear of God,” the police boss said.

Also speaking at the event, Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State said the state was proud of Adamu and his achievements since his assumption of duty as IGP.

The governor also commended him for his efforts at instilling professionalism into the force and promoting the welfare of personnel.

Sule also expressed gratitude to him for efforts to establish a Mobile Police Training School, Police College and Police Public Relations (PPRO) training school in Nasarawa State.

He said that these institutions would go a long way in curtailing criminality in the state.

Earlier, Hudu Musa, Chairman of the forum, said that the reception was in honour of the contributions of the IGP, who is from Lafia, in the internal security of the country.

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The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Lanre Issa-Onilu, announced this in a statement.

Lanre Issa-Onilu explained that the National Working Committee of the APC appointed three persons for each of the appeal panels.

The Kogi Indirect Primary Appeal Committee has Senator Abdulahi Yandoma as chairman and Ms Amina Muhammed as secretary while Mr Tony McFoy is a member.

For the Bayelsa Direct Primary Appeal Committee, Mr Shuaibu Aruwa is the Chairman, while Mr Edith Amadi and Mr Abdul Malik El-Yakub are secretary and member respectively.

Ahead of the governorship elections in both states., Governor Yahaya Bello won the APC’s ticket in Kogi while Mr David Lyon emerged the winner of the party’s primary in Bayelsa .

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed November 16 for the polls.

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Also, the party has adopted the Direct mode of primary in line with the written request of the Bayelsa State chapter and majority of the stakeholders.

This is in compliance with the decision of the APC National Executive Committee (NEC), which grants state chapters and majority of party leaders in a state the right to decide on the mode of primary they wish to adopt.

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He assured that his administration will remain committed to unity and infrastructure development in the state.

According to Governor Bello,  he has always shun ethnicity and religious bias and therefore, seeks the support of the people of the state to ensure good governance.

He, also hinted that President Muhammadu Buhari would visit Kogi soon to inaugurate some landmark projects in furtherance of developmental efforts in the state.

The governor, however urged the APC National Working Committee (NWC) to ensure a level playing field for every aspirant to participate in the primaries billed for August 29.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed November 16 to conduct the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States.

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According to  a statement issued by the party’s National Organising Secretary, Emma Ibediro,  “in line with the provision of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines.

“The All Progressives Congress (APC) hereby releases this time-table and schedule of activities for the conduct of the 2019 Governorship Primary Elections in Kogi and Bayelsa States.

PURCHASE OF FORMS

A. Expression of Interest – N 2,500,000.00

Nomination – N20,000,000.00

= N22,500,000.00

B. There shall be no separate charge for deputy

C.  Female Aspirants and Physically Challenged Aspirants 50% of the prescribed fees for each position.

D.  All payments should be made in full directly into the designated bank accounts of the All Progressives Congress.

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INEC, also released timelines for party primary elections in both states, which is scheduled for August 18, 2019, to September 5, 2019.

The electoral umpire further  urged that the conduct of primaries and nomination of candidates should be transparent and democratic in accordance with the provision of the Electoral Act, as well as INEC’s regulations and guidelines.

The Commission’s Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, while speaking at the presentation of certificates of return to election winners from Zamfara state, tasked political parties to conduct credible primaries for the nomination of candidates in a bid to strengthen the electoral jurisprudence in the country.

Professor  Yakubu disclosed that a total of 64 certificates of return had been withdrawn and issued to persons declared winners by courts of law.

He, however informed that peace efforts in both states have started in a bid to have violent-free elections.

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