POLLS COULD BE CANCELLED OR DELAYED DUE TO INSECURITIES – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, has expressed regret over the rising tide of election-related insecurity in the nation and expressed concern that, if the trend is not stopped, it would force the next general elections to be canceled or delayed.

The electoral umpire issued a request for coordinated action to stop the violence, noting that the development may prevent the announcement of election results and trigger a constitutional crisis.

Professor Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, Chairman of the Board of The Electoral Institute TEI, INEC’s training arm, made this statement Wednesday in Abuja at the validation of election security training materials.

Since publishing information on 50 attacks across 15 states, including Imo (11), Osun (7), Enugu (5), Akwa Ibom (5), Ebonyi (4), Cross River (4), and Abia (4), Anambra (2), Taraba (2), Kaduna (1), Borno (1), Bayelsa (1), Ondo (1), Lagos (1), and Ogun (1), INEC has expressed concern over waves of attacks on its offices and infrastructure (1).

INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu recently indicated during an appearance before the House of Representatives ad hoc committee looking into assaults on the commission’s facilities that the conduct of the 2023 elections would be impacted if the attacks on the commission’s offices continue.

He accordingly urged security organizations to keep the area around the facilities safe.

Currently, there are isolated pockets of violence and instability all throughout the nation, including banditry and abduction in the North-West and certain areas of the North-Central; the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East; killings by unidentified gunmen; and skirmishes between security forces and separatists in the South-East.

Lamenting that insecurity might halt the general polls, Professor Zuru said: “We all appreciate the fact that election security is vital to democratic consolidation through the provision of enabling environment for the conduct of free, fair, credible and inclusive elections and thus strengthening the electoral process.

“Consequently, in preparations for the 2023 general elections, the Commission is not leaving anything to chance in ensuring that intensive and extensive security is provided for election personnel, materials and processes.

“This is particularly significant to the Commission given the current insecurity challenges in various parts of the country and the fact that the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, members constitute the core of the polling unit election officials.

“Moreover, if the insecurity is not monitored and dealt with decisively, it could ultimately culminate in the cancellation and/or postponement of elections in sufficient constituencies to hinder the declaration of elections results and precipitate a constitutional crisis.

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‘It must not be allowed to happen’

“This must not be allowed to happen and shall not be allowed to happen. Therefore, security personnel in particular and all elected officials in general must be security-conscious and alert to unusual activities in their environment and must be fully equipped to deal with any challenge at all times.

“To this end, the National Security Adviser, General Mohammed Babagana Monguno, and the Chairman, INEC have jointly assured the nation that a conducive environment will be provided for the successful conduct of the 2023 general election.

“Similarly, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, Usman Baba Alkali, has conducted election security management workshops across the six geo-political zones.

“On its part, the Commission, through The Electoral Institute, has institutionalized the development and implementation of a cascaded training mechanism for security personnel as a critical component of its training plan.”