Truckloads of suspected herders have reportedly arrived in remote communities across Kaiama and Baruten Local Government Areas of Kwara State to participate in the ongoing voter registration exercise.
Both local governments, which share porous borders with the Republic of Benin, have recently witnessed a noticeable influx of people — a situation that has raised fears of political manipulation and security threats in the area.
Residents told SaharaReporters that for several weeks, trucks had been dropping off large groups of Fulani herders at registration centres within the affected regions.
“We’ve been seeing strange faces coming to register for PVCs. It’s worrying because we can’t tell who genuinely lives here,” a resident said.
Community leaders described the trend as a “coordinated mobilisation” that could compromise electoral credibility and escalate tensions in the agrarian region already struggling with insecurity.
Kwara State has, in recent years, grappled with increasing cases of kidnapping, banditry, and herder–farmer clashes, particularly in its northern and southern parts.
Several residents have accused Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of not doing enough to stop the influx of unidentified persons into the state, arguing that it has left rural communities more exposed to attacks.
Last month, SaharaReporters also reported that staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Patigi and Edu Local Government Areas abandoned their duty posts due to a surge in kidnappings and bandit attacks.
Security operatives reportedly advised INEC personnel to avoid volatile areas, warning they could become “soft targets” for criminal groups.
One source said Lade town in Patigi LGA had been largely deserted following repeated assaults, adding, “The INEC staff are scared. They don’t want to risk being kidnapped or attacked.”
Responding to the situation, an INEC official in Baruten explained that anyone living or working in a community is entitled to register, but stressed that proper verification must be followed.
“Under INEC guidelines, anyone registering must either live or work in the LGA. As long as the officers verify identity and residency properly, there shouldn’t be an issue,” the official stated.
INEC noted that the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise began with online pre-registration on August 18, 2025, followed by in-person registration on August 25, and will continue until August 30, 2026.
Locals, however, insist that the current voter registration activity in the border areas is unusually large and coordinated, warning that it could have serious political and security implications ahead of the 2027 general elections.
