The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has charged security agencies in Nigeria to intensify decisive action against vote buying and selling, negative mobilisation, incitement and violence during electioneering campaign and election conduct by politicians in the country.
The INEC chairman, professor Mahmood Yakubu gave the charge at a meeting with security agencies in Abuja ahead of the 2023 General election.
Professor Yakubu informed the security agencies that within one month of the commencement of campaign by political parties, incidents of physical attacks on supporters and destruction of campaign materials have been reported across the country, a situation he described as worrisome.
” At our meeting with political parties, the parties also complained about the denial of of access to public facilities and exorbitant charge in some states for use of facilities for dissemination of their campaign materials message and rallies,” he said.
The chairman described the situation as a threat to democracy and violation of the electoral law and urged the security agencies to curb the menace.
‘‘The situation now may be a prelude to violence on election day and beyond, we should tackle the smoke before it snowballs into a major inferno,” he added.
Risk Management
Professor Yakubu noted that the commission is working to harmonise the election risk management and violence mitigation and advocacy tool and mitigation measures ahead of the the 2023 General election.
He however commended the existing synergy between the security agencies which he said was the brain behind the success recorded by the security agencies during the past elections in the country.
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