By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The November 6, 2021 Anambra State Governorship election which is less than six months away and the 2022 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils are in serious jeopardy.
Also, the off circle Ekiti, and Osun States Governorship polls in 2022 as well as the 2023 General Elections are under serious threats as attacks on Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) facilities continue to surge.
This alarm was sounded by INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu at the emergency meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committees on Elections Security (ICCES) in Abuja.
According to him at least 41 incidents involving deliberate attacks on INEC facilities nationwide have been recorded in the last two years with 11 offices of the Commission either set ablaze or vandalised in the last four weeks.
He told the gathering the preliminary assessment indicated that the country’s electoral umpire has so far lost 1,105 ballot boxes, 694 voting cubicles, 429 electric generating sets, and 13 utility (Toyota Hilux) vehicles from the attacks.
Yakubu stressed that working together with the security agencies would stop the attacks and the wanton destruction of critical electoral assets, saying they should be treated as a national security emergency.
According to Professor Yakubu such attacks will not only undermine the Commission’s capacity to organise elections and other electoral activities but will also damage the nation’s electoral process and democracy.
“These attacks, which initially appeared as isolated and occasional actions, have now become more frequent and systematic targeted at demobilising and dismantling critical electoral infrastructure in the country.
“Under the auspices of ICCES, we should ramp up our activities to curtail these unjustifiable acts of aggression.
This will entail not only drawing on our separate and collective resources within ICCES but also increased collaboration with citizens, communities, and all stakeholders.
“I must place on record the support to the Commission from communities we serve across the country. Among many other things, they have donated land to locate many of the Commission’s facilities, provided voluntary assistance during electoral activities like registration of voters, and even donated materials such as chairs and shelter during elections.
“Even in the context of recent destruction of INEC facilities, some of these communities have offered to rebuild our offices and to help protect them going forward. We should tap into this goodwill in finding solutions to the present situation.
“As a Commission, we have been undertaking our own internal review of the situation and seeking answers. On Wednesday last week, the Commission met with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) and received briefings about these rising threats. We are presently compiling the useful suggestions from the meeting and another internal review, which we hope to share with this body in due course.
“I understand that the security agencies are doing their own individual assessments. Beyond Election Day security, we look forward to creating a framework for all-year-round, end-to-end protection of electoral facilities under the auspices of ICCES”, he stated.
Speaking before the meeting went into closed-door, National Security Adviser and ICCES Co-Chairman, Maj. General Mohammed Babagana Monguno (Rtd) said his office would work hard to stop the attacks on INEC facilities and ensure electoral security.
The retired General said: “We have gathered here to look at means and ways of quickly stopping the rising spate of criminality, violence, and destruction of the office of the Commission.
“Of course, the office of the National Security Adviser has always remained steadfast, resolute and unrelenting in supporting all the activities of the Independent National Electoral Commission”.
