From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed hope that the present insecurity in some parts of Nigeria would not affect the successfully conduct of the 2023 general elections.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information Voters Education Committee (IVEC), Festus Okoye, disclosed this on Monday in Kano at the Commission’s Capacity Building Workshop for Heads of Voter Education and Publicity and Public Affairs Officers on Strategic Communications and Operationalisation of INEC Communication Policy.
According to him, “We are not looking at a substantial disruption of the electoral process. What we are looking at is a situation whereby every Nigerian, who is eligible to vote and who is willing to vote will have an opportunity of exercising his franchise”.
He admitted that, “We have substantial issues of banditry in some states of the Federation, we have issues of kidnapping and we have secessionists’ agitation and so on.
“Our hope and our prayer is that the various security agencies would neutralize some of these security threats or degrade them substantially so as to enable the people to have confidence that they would go out and vote in a peaceful atmosphere” he stated.
“We are also looking at a situation where the political leaders at different levels, both at the Federal , state and local government levels would engage all the agitating groups, would engage all the groups that can be engaged to make sure that nothing disrupts the 2023 General elections”
He was optimistic that the country would witness sufficient peace and calmness to conduct the general elections even as he assured that INEC would engage all the critical stakeholders to ensure that there is sufficient confidence to encourage Nigerians to go out and vote in a peaceful atmosphere.
He also observed that under the Electoral Act, there is a provision that has mandated the Commission to make provisions for people who have been displaced from their natural habitats and settings to vote during the elections adding that these Nigerians would certainly exercise their mandate.
He however expressed grave displeasure over the failure of political parties to adhere to their approved timetable for the conduct of their primaries and nomination of their candidates.
He stressed that it was dangerous for political parties to wait until the last day of the expiration of the period for the conduct of their primaries before conducting their party primaries and nominating their candidates
He recalled that in Ekiti State, the Commission fixed the 4th to the 29th January for the conduct of primaries and resolution of disputes arising from them, but regretted that most of the political parties in the state waited for the last two or three days before conducting their primaries .
Okoye, similarly, indicted political parties for the same delayed conduct of primaries in Akure North/ Akure South federal Constituency, Ogoja/Yala federal Constituency, Akpabuyu State Constituency of Cross River State,Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency of Plateau State and Ngor Okpala State Constituency of Imo State.
“Once the moment for the conduct of primaries elapses, we will not monitor such primaries. The implication is that the political party did not conduct primaries” he warned
He, therefore, urged political parties to comply with and conform to the dictates of the Nigeria Constitution, the Electoral Act and the timetable and schedule of the activities of the Commission.