The calls by the opposition for the cancellation of the 2023 elections over alleged violence were unjustifiable and uncalled for, the Minister of Information has said.
Mohammed made this known in Washington DC during his interactions with Hudson Institute, The Atlantic Council and Wilson Institute in the US capital.
He said the police reported pockets of violence scattered all over the country, but they were not substantial enough to discredit the polls.
The minister said the police report revealed that there were 489 cases of electoral infractions during the election and 781 electoral offenders who would be prosecuted.
He said it was a ratio of one infraction in over 300 polling units, which he said was not sufficient to void the elections.
The minister declared that the 2023 general elections were the least violent in the history of elections in Nigeria.
Mohammed said the data released by a coalition of civil society groups in Nigeria, indicated that the reported death of between 13 and 28 people during the just concluded elections was the lowest since the 1964/65 elections.
He recalled that during 1964/1965; more than 200 were killed during election violence.
The minister said the 1993 election recorded 100 casualties, 1999 recorded 80 deaths, the 2003 polls recorded 100 deaths and 300 lives were lost during the 2007 election.
According to the minister, the 2011 elections recorded 800 casualties, the 2015 polls recorded 100 deaths, and 150 casualties were recorded during the 2019 polls.
The minister underscored the sacredness of life, adding that no election is worth the life of any Nigerian.
He said the essence of his quoting the data is to underscore that elections could be held without losing any life.
Mohammed assured that the country would soon get to the stage of holding general elections without recording any casualties.
