The Coalition of Election Observer Groups has cried out in outrage after the brutal assault on its member, Mr. Destiny Enabulele, during the August 16 by-election in Edo State.
What unfolded at that polling unit was not just violence—it was a brazen attack on democracy itself. Enabulele, a respected former President of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organisations in Edo State, was mercilessly beaten alongside two of his aides. Their phones, ATM cards, shoes, and voter IDs were forcefully taken from them. The incident left them battered and humiliated, stripped not only of their belongings but of their dignity and right to vote.
At a press briefing in Abuja, the Coalition’s Secretary-General, Mr. Benedict Okpara, condemned the attack in the strongest terms. His voice carried both anger and sorrow as he described it as “unprovoked and de-humanising.”
“This was not just an assault on our colleague,” Okpara declared. “It was an assault on the people’s right to participate freely and without fear in the democratic process.”
The Coalition is demanding a thorough and transparent investigation by security agencies. They insist that eyewitnesses be protected and that findings must not be swept under the carpet. “We demand justice—not just for Destiny and his aides, but for every Nigerian whose trust in elections is being eroded,” Okpara said firmly.
Warning of the dangers of unchecked violence, he stressed that such attacks could plunge Edo into political chaos if ignored. Yet, despite the horror of the assault, the Coalition reaffirmed its commitment to stand by democracy, transparency, and the rule of law.
“The blood spilled at the polls is a scar on our democracy,” Okpara concluded. “But we will not be silenced.”
