By John Ikani
The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has warned that Nigeria’s 2023 election in 2023 could be cancelled or postponed if the security situation across Nigeria does not improve.
Speaking at a validation event for election security training resources in Abuja on Monday, Yakubu said if insecurity is not “monitored and dealt with decisively,” it could disrupt the electoral process and result in a constitutional crisis.
The INEC boss however assured citizens that it would take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of election personnel, materials, and processes.
He further emphasized the importance of election security in fostering democratic consolidation and the need for all election officials to be “security conscious and alert” to potential threats.
What INEC is saying
“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.
“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.
“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.”
What you should know
Nigeria’s general elections are held every four years to choose the country’s president and members of the national assembly. The next general election is scheduled to take place in 2023.
In Nigeria, the president is elected through a general ballot and serves a four-year term. The president is both the head of state and the head of government, and has the power to appoint ministers and other government officials. The national assembly, made up of the senate and the house of representatives, is responsible for making and passing laws.
The INEC is the independent body responsible for organizing and conducting elections in Nigeria. The commission is responsible for registering political parties and candidates, setting election dates, and overseeing the voting process.
In the past, Nigeria’s elections have been marred by violence and allegations of voter fraud. The INEC has made efforts to improve the transparency and fairness of the electoral process in recent years, including the use of electronic voting machines and the deployment of security personnel to polling stations.
