INEC ’s fresh alarm on 2023 general elections: Insecurity may force cancellation, postponement if …
Ahead of 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Monday expressed worry over the level of insecurity.
The commission specifically said if the menace is not decisively dealt with, it could ultimately culminate in the cancellation and/or postponement of elections in sufficient constituencies to hinder declaration of elections results and precipitate constitutional crisis.
INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu raised the concern in a message to the validation of election security training resources in Abuja.
The concern is coming amid various assurances and reassurances by the nation’s security chiefs that the nation would be secured before, during and after the polls.
INEC
But INEC is of the view that security personnel must step up to forestall possible incidence of cancellation or postponement in sufficient constituencies.
Represented by Chairman Board of Electoral Institute Professor Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, the INEC chair said this must not be allowed to happen and shall not be allowed to happen.
Zuru called the 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.
He said: “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 the country and the fact that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members constitute the core of the polling unit election officials.
“Moreover, 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 elections results and precipitate constitutional crisis.
“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 time.”
“To this end, the National Security Adviser, General Mohammed Babagana Monguno, CFR 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, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, CFR, psc (+), NPM, fdc 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.
“We are also aware that there is a new Electoral Legal Framework that will guide the 2023 as a result of the enactment of the Electoral Act 2022 which prompted the review of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for Conduct of Elections 2022.
“In particular, Sections 47(2), 60(1, 2 & 5), 62(1), 64(4a & 4b) and 64(5) of the Electoral Act 2022, which confers INEC with the power to use any technological device to transmit or transfer election results electronically are instructive in this regard.
“Emboldened by these legal protections, the Commission introduced new innovative technologies and procedures and made commitments to the Nigeria People that (a) Continuous Verification, Accreditation and Voting will be conducted at the Polling Units using the Bimodal Verification and Accreditation System (BVAS) and (b) Real-Time Polling Unit-level results will be uploaded on to the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) Portal using the same BVAS.
“These commitments require innovative security strategies and deployments for protection of voters, election personnel, materials, equipment, the electoral processes as well as the general public and infrastructure.
“These innovative systems and processes minimize human errors and delays in results collation and improves the accuracy, transparency, and credibility of the results collation process thereby ensuring credibility of the process.
“They were tested during the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, held on June 18, 2022 and July 16, 2022, respectively. The Hon. Chairman INEC has severally assured the nation that the BVAS and IReV will be deployed during the 2023 General Elections.
“Reports on the conduct of security operatives during the elections conducted by the Commission specifically stand-alone Governorship Elections in Ekiti and Osun states have shown progressive and commendable improvement in their disposition to electoral training and professionalism on election duties.
“It is believed that the efficiency and effectiveness of security operatives during these Elections owe a lot to the Electoral Security Training conducted by The Electoral Institute (TEI) as reviewed by other critical stakeholders,” the commission further said.
The INEC chief further said: “In a bid to consolidate on these gains, TEI in collaboration with International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) held a three-day workshop to review the Electoral Security Personnel Training Manual and Handbook in Kano on the 9th through 11th August, 2022.
“The workshop: Reviewed the subsisting Election Security Personnel (ESP) Manual and Handbook in the light of the prevailing security challenges in the country as well as the impact of the new provisions in the Electoral Act, 2022 on the operations of election security personnel; and developed a Training Guide (Facilitator) for Electoral Security Personnel training.
“In view of the above, the Commission has invited renown election security experts and key critical stakeholders on election security management and conduct of elections in challenging electoral environments to interrogate and validate these Election Training Resources: (i) Election Security Personnel (ESP) Training Manual, 2023; (ii) Handbook on Election Security for Security Personnel (iii) Trainers’ Guide on Handbook for Election Security, 2023 and (iv) Basic Security on Election Duties (BaSED) Handbook , 2023.
“It very important to authenticate, refine and validate these training resources to ensure adequate preparation for the 2023 General Elections. Given the calibre of participants gathered here today, I have no doubt that the discussions will be quite engaging, illuminating and fruitful.”
IPAC says no going back on BVAS
Meanwhile, the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has said alleged move by some interests to get the INEC chair out of office was because of the commission’s insistence on organising credible polls.
IPAC Chairman Engineer Yabagi Sani, who made the claim Monday in Abuja, reaffirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) remains an effective system that prevents electoral malpractices, and has come to stay.
Addressing journalists, Sani said IPAC was satisfied with the preparations, arrangements and measures taken so far by the commission to conduct free, fair, credible and transparent, inclusive, peaceful and generally acceptable elections.
According to IPAC, this is so, particularly, with its decision to deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), an electronic device designed to read permanent voter cards and authenticate voters using the voter’s fingerprints.
He said the BVAS is intended to achieve two objectives, first, which was the verification of the authenticity of the PVC, the fingerprints and faces of voters during accreditation.
Sani also said that INEC replaced the Z-pad for uploading the polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portals (IReV) in real-time on election day.
“BVAS also acts as the INEC Voter Enrollment Device (IVE) during voter registration. Its usage has also eliminated the use of incident forms during accreditation on election day,” he said.
Sani, who was represented by IPAC National Secretary, Alhaji Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, said several attempts were made to remove the INEC chairman from office following his determination to conduct credible elections.
He noted that the latest was through an originating summons in Suit No: FCT/HC/GAR/ CV/47/2022, at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, by one Somadike Uzoabaka against the Attorney General of the Federation and Professor Mahmood Yakubu, seeking an order of mandatory injunction directing and compelling the INEC chairman to recuse, excuse and exclude himself and or step down as the chairman of INEC pending the investigations against him by the various law enforcement agencies.
He said the plaintiff also sought an order of court to stop Yakubu from holding or assuming any public office for a period of ten years among others, alleging that Yakubu failed to declare his assets at the Code of Conduct Bureau as required by law.
“INEC boss tendered evidence on how he acquired the property in court. Delivering judgment, Justice Maryam Hassan quashed the allegations of false assets declaration and stopped security agents from investigating him.
“It is victory for democracy, due process and the rule of law. Again, the grand plots to derail the ongoing electoral process, create a constitutional crisis, political upheavals and quagmire has been aborted. Nigerians will not tolerate a repeat of the infamous June 12, 1993 presidential election impasse,” IPAC said.
The body lauded the Judiciary for upholding the rule of law as the temple of justice and beacon of hope for all aggrieved people.
“Council applauds this landmark judgment that quashed frivolous, spurious, unsubstantiated, wide and baseless allegations against Professor Mahmood Yakubu by political hirelings and their sponsors who are afraid of free and fair elections, and want the status quo to remain.
“The judiciary should remain steadfast, decisive, firm and unwavering in the discharge of its constitutional duties as the last hope of the common man.
“IPAC warns these reactionary forces to desist from their plots to truncate the nation’s emerging democracy. National interest supersedes primordial interests. Council will resist any attempt to jeopardise the ongoing electoral process that will deepen and strengthen our civil rule.
“The era of election rigging, vote buying, ballot snatching and stuffing and falsification of results is over as we collectively take steps to protect and defend our hard earned democracy since May 29, 1999.
“This time, every vote must be counted and count in the overall result. We must get it right and move the nation forward in the quest for sustainable democracy in Nigeria,” he said.
