Niger Delta Weekly Update: March 19-25, 2023

This weekly update spotlights election violence in the Niger Delta with a focus on the risk of post-election violence in the aﬅermath of the 2023 general elections. According to data (see map above), over 400 incidents of election related violence and more than 200 fatalities were reported in the Niger Delta between February 2019 and February 2023. During the February 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections, for instance, over 50 incidents of election violence including more than 8 fatalities were reported in the region. Several incidents of protests have also been reported in the aﬅermath of the March 18, 2023 governorship and State Assembly elections in the region. Delayed announcement of poll results reportedly triggered a series of protests in Abia State. Protests over alleged election irregularities were also reported in Delta, Imo and Rivers States. Growing tensions over the outcome of the 2023 general elections including reported calls for the cancellation of the polls over alleged electoral irregularities could snowball into mass demonstrations and crackdown by government security forces in the Niger Delta.