Seven years after bandit attacks forced residents to flee their community in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state, displaced residents are seeking ways to reclaim their place in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections. The attacks had left residents struggling to rebuild their lives, with many losing their homes and belongings. Lauratu Idris, a displaced resident from Kakau Gwantu, expressed her desire to vote in the forthcoming elections but had lost her Permanent Voter Card (PVC) after it was burnt during the attack.
Idris spoke with Blueprint during a voter education campaign organized by TAF Africa at an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) settlement in Gonin-Gora, Kaduna. The campaign aimed to sensitize displaced residents on their electoral rights and how to participate in the 2027 elections. Idris said she had a voter’s card, but it was burnt during the attack, and she did not know how to replace it until the voter education campaign.
The bandit attacks had left a trail of destruction in Kakau Gwantu, with residents fleeing without their belongings. Idris said the community had remained deserted since the attacks seven years ago, forcing her and others to seek refuge in Rido community. The attacks had also left residents struggling to rebuild their lives, with her family losing their home and her husband’s two motorcycles reportedly stolen by the assailants.
TAF Africa Programme Manager, Dominic Anwai, said the organization was reaching out to displaced persons to ensure they were not excluded from the 2027 general elections because of their circumstances. He said displacement did not take away their citizenship or constitutional right to vote, adding that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was making arrangements to facilitate their participation.
Anwai said TAF Africa was engaging INEC on measures to make voting more accessible to displaced persons, including the possibility of providing polling units within or close to IDP settlements. This, he said, would enable displaced persons to exercise their right to vote without difficulty. Another TAF Africa Programme Manager, Andrew Adaji, said the organization had previously worked with INEC during the Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
The voter education campaign covered voter registration and PVC replacement, polling-unit arrangements, election-day procedures, peaceful participation, and ways to identify and counter electoral misinformation. Adaji said the campaign initially targeted 600 people, but about 1,000 residents turned out for the sensitization. He expressed hope that the turnout would translate into increased participation in the elections.
The initiative was part of efforts to improve the inclusion of displaced persons in Nigeria’s electoral process, with support from the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Phase II programme. Key points include: Displaced residents of Kakau Gwantu in Kaduna state are seeking voting rights ahead of the 2027 general elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is making arrangements to facilitate the participation of displaced persons in the elections. TAF Africa is engaging INEC on measures to make voting more accessible to displaced persons.
Key points
- Displaced persons have equal rights to vote despite their circumstances.
- INEC is making arrangements to facilitate the participation of displaced persons in the 2027 general elections.
- TAF Africa is working to improve the inclusion of displaced persons in Nigeria’s electoral process.
