2023: INEC leaving no stone unturned on credible polls - Yakubu

• Published date: 17 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it is leaving no stone unturned in its quest to ensure hitch-free and credible 2023 general election.

INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said this when he addressed the press at Chatham House, London, on Tuesday.

Yakubu said that INEC was satisfied with the level of its of preparations for the election, saying that 11 out of 14 activities scheduled for the election had been accomplished.

He, however, said that in spite of extensive preparations, there were still some outstanding issues and challenges of concern, some of which were beyond INEC.

Yakubu said that one of the problems had to do with the current security challenges in the country and the possible impact on the election.

He said security challenges in many African countries remained source of concern for election managers.

'For many years, Nigeria has been grappling with its own insecurity In the North-East, the long-standing Boko Haram insurgency has continued, albeit with attacks now more intermittent than regular.

'In the North-West and the North Central, banditry, terrorism and the herder-farmer conflicts remain major challenges.

'In the South-South, the threat of renewed insurgency by groups demanding more share of petroleum revenue to the Niger Delta continues to simmer.

'In the SouthWest, although an earlier surge by a group demanding independence for the region has considerably dissipated, recent violent attacks on places of worship, rise in the activities of violent cults and kidnapping groups, as well as a history of violence involving groups seeking to control markets and motor parks remain strong,' he said.

Yakubu added:'In the South-East, the lingering agitation for separatism championed by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) pose a major security threat.

'Not only have violent attacks by a number of armed groups increased, the long-standing weekly lockdown of the five States in that geo-political zone, continue to disrupt social and economic activities.'

He said that violence and threat of violence were major challenges to organising credible election in 2023.

He said that violence could make deployments for elections difficult, particularly where some of the attacks were targeted at the electoral process and participants.

Yakubu however, said that the commission had been working with security agencies and other stakeholders to establish mechanisms to understand, track and mitigate security challenges.

'We are working...