Truckloads of suspected herders have reportedly arrived in remote communities within Kaiama and Baruten local government areas of Kwara State to participate in the ongoing voter registration exercise.
Both local governments, which share a porous border with the Republic of Benin, have recently witnessed an unusual influx of people, a development that has sparked concerns over possible political manipulation and security risks in the region.
Residents told SaharaReporters that, for weeks, trucks have been dropping off large groups of Fulani herders at registration centres across the area.
“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 development as a “coordinated mobilisation” that could compromise electoral integrity and heighten tensions in the agrarian region already grappling with insecurity.
Kwara State has, in recent years, faced worsening security challenges, including kidnapping, banditry, and herder–farmer clashes, particularly in its northern and southern hinterlands.
Several residents have accused Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of failing to curb the influx of unidentified persons into the state, saying it has left rural communities increasingly vulnerable.
Last month, SaharaReporters also reported that staff members 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 sources said intelligence operatives had advised INEC personnel to stay away from volatile areas, warning that they could be targeted as “soft victims” by criminal groups.
One source disclosed that Lade town in Patigi LGA had been largely deserted following repeated attacks, adding, “The INEC staff are scared. They don’t want to risk being kidnapped or attacked.”
Reacting to concerns, an INEC official in Baruten explained that anyone living or working in an area is eligible to register, but emphasised the importance of proper verification.
“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 said.
Meanwhile, 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 is expected to run until August 30, 2026.
Locals, however, maintain that the scale and coordination of the ongoing registration drive in the border communities are unprecedented and could have far-reaching political and security implications ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Is Kwara facing a genuine voter surge or a sign of political manipulation ahead of the 2027 elections?