2023 ELECTIONS MAY BE POSTPONED OVER INSECURITY: INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has noted that the prevailing security challenges in the country may lead to the cancellation or postponement of the 2023 general elections billed to commence in February.
INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who was represented by the chairman, Board of Electoral Institute (BEI), Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, disclosed this in Abuja on Monday at the Validation of Election Security Training Resources.
The electoral body had announced February 25 and March 12 for the presidential and national assembly and governorship elections respectively.
Mr Yakubu disclosed that election security was vital to conducting a free, fair, and credible poll.
He promised that the commission would ensure adequate security for its personnel and electoral materials if the exercise would still hold.
“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 helmsman, 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.”
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