By Emmanuel Gandu
The APC manifesto for the 2015 elections, and that of 2019 promised Nigerians that the land will flow with milk and honey.
However, what we got and still excruciatingly going through is a helpless people in a devastated land burning by fire, and flowing with tears and blood.
Since 2015 to date, Nigerians have been hit by Boko Haram, herdsmen terrorists, bandits, and gunmen with catastrophic consequences never experienced in the history of this country.
This tragic situation had not only been left to fester, but had remained unabated with a Nigeria that not only boasts of the best military in Africa, but is currently led by a General, a former military state governor, a former Petroleum Minister, a former military Head of State, and the President and Commander In Chief of the Armed Forces in the person of Muhammadu Buhari.
Unfortunately, one major achievement of this Buhari APC government is winning Nigeria the World Terrorism Index Ranking of the 3rd most terrorized country in the world (2020).
Facts and figures of casualties from 2018 – 2021
According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) report released on June 24, 2021, the insurgency in Nigeria claimed the lives of about 350,000 people by the end of 2020.
And by 2022, the devastation according to the UN caused deaths in the following states:
Borno – 35,646
Zamfara – 5,747
Kaduna. – 5, 462
Adamawa – 4, 097
Benue – 3, 774
Plateau – 3, 359
Yobe – 3, 176
Facts and figures of the casualty from January – July 2022
(1) Terrorist attacks, bandits’ atrocities, herdsmen killings, and gunmen menace of recent months led to the deaths of 7,222 persons and the abduction of 3,823 others from January to July 2022 alone across the country.
According to data from the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (ICIR) published by Beacon Consulting Company, the North East leads in both killings and abductions, with the North West and the North Central closely following in that order.
On a state-by-state basis, Borno is no.1, closely followed by Benue state at no. 2, and Kaduna state at no.3.
(See attached Tables/ graphs for details)
(2) According to the United Nations in its August 2022 report, 5,000 Nigerian children may die of starvation by October 2022 due to insecurity around food production, harvesting, and transportation.
The UN in this report was shopping for #700 billion to feed 5.5 million women, and children in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states.
(3) The United States Embassy had warned on Sunday 23/10/2022 of an imminent attack on Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria by terrorists.
(4) This is worrying. However, what is even more worrying is that the ongoing preparations for the 2023 elections are likely to exacerbate the conditions that drive insecurity.
This would mean that the government security agencies’ attention will be diverted to addressing threat factors from multiple fronts for innocent Nigerians, thus :
(a) More risk factors.
(b) More hostile environment.
(c) More threatening situations, and consequently
(d) Less trust in the APC government to keep Nigerians safe.
My fellow Nigerians, APC was given the opportunity in 2015 to “Change” and “salvage” the country.
Again, this APC was ‘allowed’ another 2nd chance in 2019 with their “Next Level” Manifesto.
Will you honestly for the 3rd consecutive time grant this APC the opportunity to deceive you with a “Renewed Hope 2023” that may turn out to be hopeless like a mirage?
Twice beaten, thrice shy is the saying.
Will you help them to drive the final nail in Nigeria’s coffin in 2023?
