2023: INEC Mulls Postponement Of Election

There is no longer guarantee that this year’s general election will hold, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

Barely two months into the polls, the current posture of the Electoral umpire is different from the assurance Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman gave last year when he said the election will go ahead despite the security challenges facing the court.

The Electoral umpire has now capitulated, citing security situation in the country as the reason why the election could be cancelled or delayed.

Prof. Abdullahi Abdullahi Zuru, Chairman, Board of The Electoral Institute, TEI, made the observation on Monday in Abuja at the validation of election security training resources.

He challenged security agencies to ensure that a conducive environment is provided for Nigerians to vote nest month, adding that INEC on its part is doing every to protect its staff and other election officials during the election.

He said; “We all appreciate the fact that Election Security is vital to democratic consolidation through provision of enabling environment for the conduct of free, fair, credible and inclusive elections and thus strengthening the electoral process.

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,” Prof. Zuru said.

“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.

“To this end, the National Security Adviser, Gen. Mohammed Babagana Monguno 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, has conducted Election Security Management Workshops across the Six Geopolitical Zones.

“On its part the Commission, through The Electoral Institute, has institutionalized the development and implementation of a cascaded training mechanism for security personnel as a critical component of its training plan”.

Those watching the political situation in the country said what happened during the President Goodluck Jonathan administration is likely to recur if the current security problem in the country persists.

In 2015, the administration postponed the pesidential election by six weeks, from February 14 to March 18 citing lack of security personnel to protect voters. The former president was criticised for postponing the election by people who accused him of trying to perpetuate himself in power.