Election violence · 2023 general election
What violence cost the 2023 election.
People
Deaths, injuries and abductions, as each source counted them.
Before election day · 22 states, 8 October to 9 November 2022
24
Deaths from campaign political violence (8 Oct to 9 Nov 2022)
Same one-month window as the 52 acts. Situation Room cites Daily Trust (INEC). Printed page 15.
Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.Nigeria Civil Society Situation RoomBefore election day · 22 states, 8 October to 9 November 2022
20+
People injured in campaign political violence (8 Oct to 9 Nov 2022)
Printed as 'over 20'; value is the lower bound. Printed page 15.
Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.Nigeria Civil Society Situation RoomOn election day · nationwide, 24 hours to the 19 Mar 2023 preliminary statement (governorship and State Assembly election)
8+
Election-related deaths reported in the 24 hours around the governorship election
Yiaga does not say these were counted by its own observers ('reports also indicate'). The window may include early collation. Value is a lower bound.
Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.Yiaga Africa
How widespread
How many incidents each source recorded, and how many places were affected.
Whole election period · 18 of 36 states plus FCT; week of 20 to 26 February 2023 (spans the 25 Feb presidential election day)
180
Incidents or threats of violence tracked in the media, 20 to 26 February 2023
INEC's own media tracking; it counts threats as well as incidents, and an event was counted only when confirmed by at least two sources. This is a one-week sample of a 1 January to 26 March 2023 tracking exercise; the report gives no total for the full period. Printed page 76.
Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)Before election day · 22 states, 8 October to 9 November 2022
52
Acts of political violence during the campaign (8 Oct to 9 Nov 2022)
Situation Room cites a Premium Times report of figures given by the National Security Adviser. Printed page 15.
Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.Nigeria Civil Society Situation RoomOn election day · presidential and National Assembly election day, 25 Feb 2023
16+
States with reported disruption of voting, intimidation or electoral violence on presidential election day
Unit is states. Printed page 35.
Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room
Electoral property
INEC offices attacked and election materials destroyed.
Before election day · nationwide, 15 states, 2019 general election to 12 December 2022
50+
Attacks on INEC buildings and facilities, from the 2019 election to 12 December 2022
'Over 50' is a floor, not an exact count. The window starts in 2019, long before the 28 Sep 2022 campaign opening. The same figure appears on PDF pages 38 ('over 50'), 42 ('up to 50') and 139 ('more than 50'). A map of these incidents (figure 8.3, PDF page 179) is an image with no extractable text. Printed page 139.
Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)Whole election period · week of 20 to 26 February 2023 (spans the 25 Feb presidential election day)
9
Attacks on INEC facilities, materials and personnel in the media-tracked week of 20 to 26 February 2023
Subset of the 180 incidences or threats in the same week. Includes attacks on materials and personnel, not only buildings. Printed page 76.
Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)Before election day · 15 states, pre-election period
51
Cases of arson and vandalisation of INEC facilities and election materials before the election
Yiaga does not give the start date of the period counted; it footnotes its Road to 2023 reports.
Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.Yiaga Africa
What it cost in naira
No source we have checked puts a naira figure on the damage from violence in this election, and INEC does not publish a price for each BVAS machine, card reader or ballot box, only total budgets. So OpenPolls shows what was destroyed, as counted, rather than guess a cost. If you know of an official figure, email hello@openpolls.africa.
Context, not a cost of violence
₦52.12bn: INEC asked for a supplementary budget, partly to rebuild or relocate offices destroyed in attacks and to replace burnt materials. It also gives inflation and exchange rates as reasons and does not say how much was for damage, so this is not a cost of violence.
Searched: INEC's 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 election reports and 2023 Election Project Plan; INEC news and press pages 2019-2023; EU, Situation Room, Yiaga, CDD and CSJ reports; Premium Times, TheCable, Punch, Daily Trust, Guardian and The Nation archives; the 2025 and 2026 Appropriation Acts.
It starts before election day
17 of the 44 dated incidents in these sources happened before the first vote on 25 Feb 2023. Each bar is a month; tap one to see what happened.
Bars count incidents described in these reports, not every incident that happened. A short or empty bar means the reports recorded little that month, not that the month was calm; observers concentrate on election days.
24 Jan 2023 · Lagos · Attack on a campaign
A deputy governorship candidate was chased out of the Ikosi fruit market while campaigning; a member of her security team was reportedly stabbed.
Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.24 Jan 2023 · Katsina · Attack on a campaign
Stones were thrown at a presidential candidate's convoy, damaging vehicles.
Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.30 Jan 2023 · Rivers, Ahoada-West · Attack on a campaign
Armed men intercepted and attacked a governorship candidate's convoy and campaign team at Akinima.
Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.2 Feb 2023 · Ebonyi · Attack on a campaign
A governorship candidate was attacked and his driver was killed; the report says it was his second attack in days. 1 death reported.
alleged by Situation Room (reportedly): suspected Ebubeagu operatives
Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.23 Feb 2023 · Enugu · Attack on a campaign
A senatorial candidate for Enugu East and five supporters were killed by unknown persons. 6 deaths reported.
Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.23 Feb 2023 · Kano, Bebeji · Attack on a campaign
The convoy of a presidential candidate and a governorship candidate was attacked in Kofa town.
Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.
Showing the last incidents before the first vote. Tap a month for the rest.
What was destroyed
Every count of destroyed election materials in these sources, by kind of item. Each bar is one count from one source for one place or period. Counts are not added together, because sources overlap and many losses were never counted, and no source gives their value in naira.
BVAS machines
- Kogi: BVAS machines lost in Kogi State, where thugs attacked poll officials and destroyed, burnt or snatched BVAS51Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
- Akwa Ibom: BVAS machines lost in Akwa Ibom State because of violence and related incidents50Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
- Rivers: BVAS machines reported lost in Obio/Akpor LGA after attacks by hoodlums (Rivers)12Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
Ballot boxes
- Ogun: Ballot boxes destroyed in the attack on INEC's Abeokuta South office904Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
- FCT: Ballot boxes destroyed when hoodlums attacked the Zuba collation centre, Gwagwalada (FCT)18Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
- Several states: Ballot boxes destroyed when INEC offices in Abeokuta South (Ogun) and Ede South (Osun) were set ablaze904Yiaga Africa
Voter cards (PVCs)
- Ogun: Uncollected voter cards (PVCs) destroyed in the attack on INEC's Abeokuta South office65,699Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
- Several states: Uncollected PVCs destroyed when INEC offices in Abeokuta South (Ogun) and Ede South (Osun) were set ablaze65,699Yiaga Africa
INEC offices and buildings
- Ogun: Voting cubicles destroyed in the attack on INEC's Abeokuta South office29Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
- Ogun: Megaphones destroyed in the attack on INEC's Abeokuta South office30Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
- Ogun: Electric generators destroyed in the attack on INEC's Abeokuta South office8Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
Place by place
26 figures that sources give for a single state or place. They are examples from the reports, not a complete count, and are not added up. States are listed alphabetically; tap one to open it.
Akwa Ibom3 figures
- 11,264 security personnel deployed for the election in Akwa Ibom State (whole election period)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
- 17 polling units where the Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency supplementary election was violently disrupted (Akwa Ibom) (after the polls)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
- 50 bVAS machines lost in Akwa Ibom State because of violence and related incidents (whole election period)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
Bayelsa1 figure
- 141 polling units in Bayelsa where polling was postponed after disruption by violence (on election day)Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.
Benue1 figure
- 1 person shot dead by the Army while trying to snatch a ballot box in Gboko LGA (Benue) (whole election period)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
Edo1 figure
- 71 polling units where violence disrupted polling in Edo State (whole election period)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
Ekiti1 figure
- 3 polling units whose results were cancelled after violent disruption in Ido/Osi State Constituency I (Ekiti) (on election day)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
FCT1 figure
- 18 ballot boxes destroyed when hoodlums attacked the Zuba collation centre, Gwagwalada (FCT) (after the polls)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
Imo1 figure
- 19 iNEC ad hoc staff reported abducted on the way to polling units in Ideato South LGA, Imo (on election day)Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.
Kebbi1 figure
- 1 voter shot dead in Fakai LGA while trying to snatch a ballot box (Kebbi) (whole election period)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
Kogi6 figures
- 209 polling units where violence, disruption or obstruction was reported in Kogi State (whole election period)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
- 44 polling units whose results were cancelled for disruption and violence in Bassa/Dekina Federal Constituency (Kogi) (on election day)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
- 26,050 registered voters in the 44 cancelled polling units in Bassa/Dekina Federal Constituency (Kogi) (on election day)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
- 6 ad hoc election staff kidnapped when their buses were attacked on the way back from election duty (Kogi) (after the polls)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
- 51 bVAS machines lost in Kogi State, where thugs attacked poll officials and destroyed, burnt or snatched BVAS (whole election period)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
- 7 polling units where INEC cancelled the election in Kogi (on election day)Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.
Ogun5 figures
- 904 ballot boxes destroyed in the attack on INEC's Abeokuta South office (before election day)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
- 29 voting cubicles destroyed in the attack on INEC's Abeokuta South office (before election day)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
- 30 megaphones destroyed in the attack on INEC's Abeokuta South office (before election day)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
- 8 electric generators destroyed in the attack on INEC's Abeokuta South office (before election day)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
- 65,699 uncollected voter cards (PVCs) destroyed in the attack on INEC's Abeokuta South office (before election day)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
Rivers2 figures
- 42 polling units in Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency's supplementary election, after results were cancelled for thuggery (Rivers) (on election day)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
- 12 bVAS machines reported lost in Obio/Akpor LGA after attacks by hoodlums (Rivers) (on election day)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
Zamfara1 figure
- 7 registration-area collation officers abducted in Maradun LGA (Zamfara) (whole election period)Official. Published by a government body, such as INEC, in an official document or record.
Several states2 figures
- 65,699 uncollected PVCs destroyed when INEC offices in Abeokuta South (Ogun) and Ede South (Osun) were set ablaze (before election day)Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.
- 904 ballot boxes destroyed when INEC offices in Abeokuta South (Ogun) and Ede South (Osun) were set ablaze (before election day)Observer data. Reported by an election observer or monitoring group.