Mrs. Liyatu Ayuba’s testimony about the involvement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in the electoral process in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would make most Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) associated with election and electoral process advocacy fulfilled and beat their chests that they have achieved the goals of their Organisations.

Mrs Ayuba is the Woman Leader of the Durumi Area 1 IDP camp and leader of all the Women leaders in the 18 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camps in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Her testimony summarized that although they are far away from their ancestral roots, they are conscious of their rights and obligations as citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Internal displacement in Nigeria is the result of a multitude of complex and often overlapping drivers and triggers, including recurring floods and protracted violence.

Most internal displacements in 2022 were associated with disasters, as the worst floods in a decade hit the country between June and November. The floods triggered over 2.4 million displacements, the highest disaster displacement. There are over 3.4 million people in different displaced camps in Nigeria, yet most of them were able to participate in the 2023 general elections.

This could not have been possible but for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) policy of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that aimed at addressing the voting rights of citizens Displaced by conflict or natural disasters.

The electoral body also designed a detailed voting and result management protocol with the active participation of stakeholders. For example, the 2023 General Election incorporated various inclusivity measures to ensure the participation and representation of all eligible citizens.

When she and a few others moved to Abuja in 2014 following the criminal and inhuman activities of members of the Boko Haram, some of them suspected it was going to be a long stay from home. They took with them their voter cards and when they had settled down in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), they did the needful by transferring their polling booths from their home states of Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa to the FCT.

Hear her: “We have voters cards. The year we arrived here,2014, not everyone came with their voter cards because of the situation we found ourselves in, running from one place to another, some didn’t know where they kept their cards. After 2014, those who don’t have did fresh registration”.

That paid off, according to her, “one of our sons, Dogara, contested and with our full support, he won his election and became Speaker of the counselors in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC)”. They not only have Voter cards but they use them effectively by voting for the candidate of their choice.

Mrs. Ayuba said politicians come to campaign and solicit their support and votes. Two of the beneficiaries are Mr. Candido, the former AMAC Chairman, and the current Senator representing the FCT, Mrs Ireti Kingibe whom they are not happy with.

“The people that are looking for our votes, they come here and make promises after the election and when they have won, they will not come back. Like Senator Ireti Kingibe, we worked for her very well, even when she was in the All Progressives Congress (APC), we worked for her. She came back to the Labour Party (LP), invited us, spoke to us, made promises and we voted for her. She won the election. Since her victory, she never came back to say: “Hi! Thank you “.

She said women in IDP camps do house to house, Community to Community, and rallies for candidates they love stressing that:” I am the co-ordinator for the 18 women leaders in the FCT. I gather all the Women leaders we hold meetings and we are always united. That is how our son won the councillorship election. We have sponsored our son for eight years as a councilor.

Asked whether People Living with Disabilities also take part in the campaigns and voting, Mrs Ayuba answered in the affirmative. “We have but there are not many here (Durumi/ Area 1 IDP camp) but we have them in good numbers in Karamajiji along Airport Road, Abuja.

Mr. Bala Lawal Yusuf who is the Secretary of the IDP said as of 15 January 2023 there were 215 households,103 adults of 45 years above,1750 youths between 15-45 years,740 children, and 22 orphans in the camp.

Mr. Joel Billy, one of the residents of the camp confirmed that politicians come to the camp to campaign for votes during elections. He said he was registered to vote in Kaduna but had to change it to Abuja.