INEC Talks Insecurity & 2023 General Elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday said if the insecurity ravaging the nation was not monitored and checked, it may lead to cancellation or postponement of 2023 elections in some areas.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who spoke at the validation workshop of election security training resources in Abuja on Monday, lamented the insecurity ravaging the nation.
Yakubu was represented by the Chairman Board of Electoral Institute (BEI), Prof. Abdullahi Zuru.
“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.
“This must not be allowed to happen and shall not be allowed to happen,” he said.
Yakubu said that election security was significant to the commission given the current insecurity challenges in various parts the country and the fact that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members constituted the core of the Polling Unit election officials.
“Therefore, security personnel in particular and all election 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, Gen. Mohammed Babagana Monguno; and the Chairman, INEC have jointly assured the nation that conducive environment will be provided for successful conduct of the 2023 general Election.
“Similarly, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, has conducted Election Security Management Workshops across the Six Geopolitical Zones.
“On its part the Commission, through The Electoral Institute, has institutionalised the development and implementation of a cascaded training mechanism for security personnel as a critical component of its training plan.’’
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