INEC to security heads: Neutralize security threats to enable Nigerians exercise voting franchise in 2023

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has on Monday told heads of security agencies to degrade and neutralize all forms of security threats bedeviling the country to avail Nigerians opportunities to exercise their voting franchise and also enable it to deploy adhoc staff to conduct the elections.

The INEC National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education, Bar. Festus Okoye made the call at the opening ceremony of a 2-day workshop for the Commission’s staff of Voter Education and Publicity including the heads of Departments and Publicity Affairs Officers from the Northern States on Strategic Communications and Operationalization of the Communication Policy facilitated by the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES-Nigeria).

Okoye further hinted that plans were underway by the commission to meet with the heads of security agencies to review security situations in the country ahead of the elections.

According to him, “As we move closer to the 2023 general election, all the critical stakeholders and the security agencies must resolve to degrade and or neutralize the security threats across the federation. Our people must be assured that they can vote in a peaceful atmosphere.

“The Chairman of the Commission has pointed out and consistently emphasized that the current level of insecurity in the country remains the greatest and most potent threat to the conduct of free, fair, and transparent elections in the country. As some of you are aware, the CVR is taking place only in the 37 State and 774 Local Government Offices of the Commission. The Commission intends to devolve the CVR to 2, 673 locations as against the current 811 locations. Our inability to actualize this is on account of the security situation in most states of the Federation.

“Presently, there are two vacancies in the Zamfara State House of Assembly and one in the Kaduna State House of Assembly. The vacancy for Shinkafi State Constituency has been declared while that of Gusau 1 State Constituency of Zamfara State and Giwa State Constituency has not been declared.

“The Commission is reviewing the security situation in the constituencies where these vacancies occurred and will take appropriate decision at the appropriate time.

“The Chairman of the Commission and the Commission will meet with the heads of the nation’s security agencies and review the security situation in the country and determine further deployment and devolution of the CVR on a roll-out, roll back procedure,” Okoye stated. Vanguard