Barrister Effiok Cobham, a former deputy governor of Cross River State, has expressed fear over the 2023 general election in the country.
He said the heightened insecurity in parts of the country has become very alarming and worrisome.
Cobham disclosed this in Calabar, the state capital, while speaking with some journalists.
He said: “I have deep fear for next year’s even as we are preparing for the general election.
“I never thought that armed civilians could take over a town, a police station but now armed thugs enter a police station, break into the armoury and take arms away. Who would have thought that they will kidnap a police commissioner in Nigeria and ransom paid?
“My father was a police officer. Growing up, I used to think that there are some things that cannot happen but they are happening in our time.
“We must work towards stemming insecurity so that election next year would be without fear.”
Speaking on the security architecture in Cross River State, the former deputy governor wondered how the 196 wards in the state would be extensively covered.
“The 196 wards are flashpoints. Can our security personnel manage them effectively? What is the level of manpower that we have in terms of security? Are we going to bring the army out to help us arrange our democracy, conduct elections?
“We have seen the level of arms proliferation, free-flowing of machetes and all those things and these are things that could be used freely during elections,” he said.
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