Journalists usually find it difficult to cast their votes, because while on the field, they are posted elsewhere to work and are unable to exercise their franchise. But in 2023, I made sure that the area where I covered the election was close to my polling unit. So after covering a few polling units, I went to my own unit so I could cast my vote. It was the gubernatorial election.
While I was trying to cast my vote for a particular party, because political parties were arranged in alphabetical order, it meant I was going to go to L, which was down below. As I was tracing my way down, someone just harassed me, saying, “Oh, you’re from Imo State, go back to where you’re coming from.”
I was really scared. I can’t remember the details of what he said, but he said it emphatically, like “you go back to Imo State, you cannot vote here.” I managed to cast my vote and I dropped it, panicking.
A police officer was there at the time, but they did not say anything. The INEC officials were there organising and coordinating the entire process; they couldn’t say anything. But because I was working around, I had a colleague who had come there with me. It was that colleague who encouraged me.
While I was going to drop my ballot paper in the box, I heard the man facing me say, “Oh, you live in this neighbourhood, abi (right)? Don’t worry, we’ll come for you.” And you know what it means.
I just felt relieved a little bit because I had moved out of that neighbourhood. I didn’t change my polling unit. Imagine I was living somewhere close, it means I would really feel threatened, or I would have been forced to vote for a particular person that they wanted, which, according to the alphabetical order, would have just been up there.
It’s really amusing. Yes, my name is Blessing. I hear that comment a lot that I look Igbo, but I’m Yoruba. I’m Ijesha. Even if I am not Yoruba, that doesn’t mean you have the right to tell me not to cast my vote in a particular polling unit, because what? Because you’re a political thug or because you think you have some loyalty to defend and to protect some person’s mandate.
It is really appalling that a police officer was there and he couldn’t do anything. Maybe, what would he have done? It was just one person anyway. I was really worried.
I think more needs to be done. We now have a new electoral act, but more needs to be done by INEC and security agencies. Political parties should also ensure that their supporters, party representatives, and party agents watch whatever it is that they do in different polling units so that people can exercise their franchise to the best of their ability.
The electorate should feel safe and not feel threatened, because if people feel threatened, they will rather stay at home. When we talk about voter apathy, these are some of the things that drive it.
The 2027 general election is coming. As an individual, I am not afraid of anything, but I think it’s really going to get tense as the election draws near. Currently, the threats are minimal. Towards the end of the year, September, October, and November, it’s really going to get tense, and a whole lot of things will be flying around.
It is important for different stakeholders to begin taking the necessary actions to ensure that people can cast their votes without fear of intimidation or harassment, and that no one is disenfranchised.
As narrated by: Blessing Oladunjoye (Lagos, Nigeria).
This snippet is published as part of the series, Not Your Lagos.
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