U.S. Government Report Alleges APC Supporters Attacked Igbo Voters During Lagos Governorship Election

The United States government has issued a report detailing incidents of voter suppression and intimidation during the Lagos State governorship election in March 2023. According to the report, supporters of Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), were involved in targeted attacks against opposition party members and Igbo voters to prevent them from voting. These attacks occurred even in the presence of police personnel.

The findings are part of the US Department of State’s “2023 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: Nigeria.” The report, which examines human rights conditions across various countries, highlights numerous irregularities and violent incidents that marred the 2023 general election in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation. Despite these issues, many observers concluded that the election results generally reflected the will of the voters.

The report states that the national elections “were widely reported to have reflected the will of voters, despite technical and logistical difficulties, and some irregularities.” While independent observers acknowledged that the elections were reflective of voters’ intentions, they also noted incidents of voter suppression, vote buying, and violence at polling stations. However, the report calls attention to specific incidents during the March 18 state election in Lagos, where APC supporters reportedly intimidated and suppressed voters in areas with a significant Igbo population.

Viral videos circulating on social media showed APC supporters in Ojo threatening to attack Igbo voters believed to support the Labour Party and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, who is of Igbo descent. In Eti-Osa, APC supporters also attacked journalists and shut down voting in some cases, blocking access to polling stations for non-Yoruba voters. Further reports described incidents in Amuwo-Odofin where APC supporters destroyed property and physically obstructed voters, with police officers present but not intervening. The report notes no evidence of arrests or prosecutions of those involved in the attacks.