By Rédaction Africa Links 24 with John Owen Nwachukwu
Published on 2024-01-23 14:06:02
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has emphasized the need for security agencies to ensure adequate security during the upcoming bye-elections and rerun elections in various areas across Nigeria. His call for heightened security measures was made during a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES in Abuja on Tuesday.
Yakubu highlighted the two categories of elections set to take place in February. The first category includes bye-elections resulting from the death or resignation of members of the National and State legislative houses, impacting two Senatorial Districts, four Federal and three State Assembly Constituencies. The second category consists of re-run elections ordered by the Election Petition Appeal Tribunals.
Following an extraordinary meeting with political party leaders last month, the INEC boss reported that the elections would affect 35 National and State Constituencies. As of Tuesday, the Commission has been served with four additional court orders, bringing the total number of affected constituencies to 39.
Yakubu clarified that while the nine bye-elections are fresh elections covering entire constituencies, the re-run elections will only be held in a few Polling Units. He emphasized the importance of ensuring security for the elections, especially in the affected areas, as the conduct of credible elections is imperiled without a secure and peaceful environment.
The INEC has provided comprehensive information on the locations where the elections will be held, including details broken down by States, Local Government Areas, Registration Areas/Wards, and Polling Units, to the Nigeria Police Force, as the lead agency in election security. This information will also be shared with other members of ICCES and made available to the public through the Commission’s website and social media platforms.
Yakubu urged the security agencies to secure the environment for the deployment of personnel and materials, as well as the protection of observers, the media, and the polling and collation agents representing the political parties and candidates. He emphasized the potential for disruptive behavior by candidates and their supporters during isolated elections such as bye-elections and re-run elections, urging heightened attention to this aspect based on past experience.
