By Harry Awurumibe, Editor Abuja Bureau
Ahead of the three major end-of-term elections in Ekiti, Osun, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council Elections as well as nine pending bye-elections in seven states of the Federation, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has tasked the country’s Security Agencies to maintain high professionalism seen in the last Edo, Ondo, Anambra gubernatorial elections.
This is even as the Commission has commended the professionalism of the security agencies without which the peaceful conduct of the above mentioned elections would not have been possible.
The INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu stated these in his opening remarks on Thursday at the First Quarterly Meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) for the Year 2022 held at INEC Conference Room, Abuja.
Yakubu said the Commission will like to see that the standard of professional conduct displayed by INEC officials and the security agencies in the Edo, Ondo and Anambra State Governorship elections be maintained in all forthcoming polls, including the 2023 General Election.
He however said: “on behalf of INEC, let me seize this opportunity to commend the professionalism of the security agencies without which the peaceful conduct of the election would not have been possible”.
Speaking further, Yakubu told the Committee members that the Commission has last week released the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for six of the bye-elections to fill vacancies for the Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency and Pankshin South State Constituency in Plateau State; the Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency and the Akpabuyo State Constituency in Cross River State; the Akure North/Akure South Federal Constituency in Ondo State; and the Ngor-Okpala State Constituency in Imo State.
According to him these elections are scheduled to hold on Saturday February 26, 2022 just as he reminded the Committee that: “Our responsibility is to protect the process to guarantee its integrity while leaving the outcome of the election for voters to determine”.
Meanwhile, the INEC Chairman posited that the Area Council election in the FCT will hold on February 12, 2022, which is just 23 days away.
Yakubu stated that: “as early as next week, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner and the Commissioner of Police will brief us on the state of preparation with emphasis on the identified flashpoints and the security situation generally in the FCT.
“At that meeting, the Commission will provide an overview of our readiness for the election involving 68 constituencies (6 Area Council Chairmen and 62 Councilors)”.
Responding to the INEC Chairman’s Remarks the National Security Adviser NSA) and Co-Chair of ICCES, Major General Babagana Monguno who was represented by Alhaji Galadima Sanusi commended INEC for the technological innovation that helped in safe delivery of the Edo, Ondo and Anambra state Governorship Elections.
The NSA assured that the security agencies will provide adequate security cover for the FCT Area Council election,
Osun and Ekiti off cycle elections.
Members of ICCES who attended the meeting either in person or sent representatives are Nigerian Police Force and Heads of Security Agencies namely Army, Navy and Air Force as well as Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Rasheed Bawa who was physically present at the occasion.
Others are ICPC, NDLEA, NIA, Fire Service, Immigration Services; Correctional, NIMC and NOA respectively.
