With few weeks left to the commencement of the 2023 Presidential elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that the dominating security challenges in the country may lead to the “cancellation/or postponement” of the 2023 general elections billed to start in February.
The hint was dropped on Monday by Mahmood Yakubu, the National Chairman of INEC,who was represented by Chairman, Board of Electoral Institute, Abdullahi Zuru, in Abuja.
While addressing the issue of insecurity he said, “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 declaration of election results and precipitate constitutional crisis.
Recall that the electoral body had announced February 25 and March 12 for the presidential and national assembly and governorship elections, respectively.
It also disclosed that eighteen political parties fielded candidates for the exercise, with the PDP, APC, LP, and NNPP as the top political parties that would be participating in the election.
Speaking at the validation of election security training resources held in Abuja, the INEC chairman explained that election security was vital to conducting free, fair, and credible polls.
Yakubu promised that the commission would ensure adequate security for its personnel and electoral materials if the exercise would still be held. “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 are provided for election personnel, materials, and processes,” he added. According to him, “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 members constitute the core of the polling unit election officials.” “This must not be allowed to happen and shall not be allowed to happen,” he added.
The INEC top boss, however, asked security personnel in particular and all election officials in general to be security conscious and alert to unusual activities in their environment “and must be fully equipped to deal with any challenge at all times.
( Newsweek)
