Yakubu's INEC feels the heat

• Published date: 14 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

With the 2023 general elections drawing closer, concerns about the spate of insecurity across the country and the impact it could have on the peaceful conduct of elections, have tended to spark anxiety across the land.

The Mahmood Yakubu-led Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had warned that the rising security situation in parts of the country was not good enough and was capable of threatening the elections.

The development, it said, could force postponement of cancellation. But the Federal Government swiftly responded with an assurance that the elections would proceed as planned.

The security challenge, it emphasized, would not stop the polls in any way.

The assurance by the Federal Government followed concerns raised by stakeholders, civil societies and INEC, following rising cases of insecurity and the attack on the commission's facilities in some parts of the country.

INEC said over 40 attacks had been carried out on its offices across 14 states since the 2019 general elections, with the South-east alone recording over 13 attacks.

Some Nigerians are in agreement with INEC on the threat posed to the conduct of the elections by the security challenge more so when facilities expected to be used by the commission are direct targets of the attacks.

They insist that the situation indeed calls for serious concerns, and...