The Independent National Electoral Commission has raised the alarm about the growing security situation across the country and its impact on the 2023 general elections.
INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu, speaking at the validation of election security training resources held in Abuja on Monday, noted that the upcoming elections face a serious threat of cancellation if insecurity across the country does not improve.
Yakubu, represented by the Chairman of the Board of the Electoral Institute, Abdullahi Zuru, explained that “if insecurity is not monitored and decisively addressed, it could ultimately culminate in the cancellation and/or postponement of elections in enough constituencies to prevent the declaration of elections. results and precipitate the constitutional crisis”.
However, the commission assured that it would leave nothing to chance to ensure extensive and intensive security is provided for electoral personnel, materials and processes.
Mahmood said: “We all appreciate the fact that electoral security is vital for democratic consolidation by providing an enabling environment for conducting free, fair, credible and inclusive elections and thus for strengthening the electoral process.
“Accordingly, in the preparations for the 2023 general election, the commission leaves nothing to chance to ensure that extensive and intensive security is provided for electoral personnel, materials and processes.
“This is particularly important to the commission given the ongoing security challenges in various parts of the country and the fact that members of the National Youth Service Corps make up the core of the voting unit’s election officials.
“This must not be allowed to happen and it will 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.”
