From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed hope that the present insecurity in some parts of Nigeria will not affect the conduct of the 2023 general election.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information Voters Education Committee (IVEC), Festus Okoye, disclosed this, yesterday, 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: “As we move closer to the 2023 general election, all critical stakeholders and security agencies must resolve to degrade and or neutralise the security threats across the federation. Our people must be assured they can vote in a peaceful atmosphere.
“The chairman of the commission has pointed out and consistently emphasised that the current level of insecurity in the country remains the greatest and most potent threat to the conduct of free, fair and transparent elections in the country. As some of you are aware, the CVR is taking place only in the 37 states and 774 local government offices of the commission.
“The commission intends to devolve the CVR to 2, 673 locations as against the current 811 locations. Our inability to actualise this is on account of the security situation in most states of the federation.
“Presently, there are two vacancies in Zamfara State House of Assembly and one in Kaduna Assembly. The vacancy for Shinkafi state constituency has been declared while those of Gusau 1 state constituency of Zamfara State and Giwa state constituency have not been declared.
“The commission is reviewing the security situation in the constituencies where these vacancies occurred and will take appropriate decision at the appropriate time.”
Okoye said plans were underway by the commission to meet with heads of security agencies to review security situations in the country ahead of the elections.
“The chairman of the commission and the commission will meet with the heads of the nation’s security agencies and review the security situation in the country and determine further deployment and devolution of the CVR on a roll-out, roll back procedure.”
Okoye warned political parties against conducting the primaries not in conformity with the dictates of the constitution, the Electoral Act, and the timetable and schedule of activities of the commission.
He said 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 January 4 to 29 for the conduct of primaries and resolution of disputes arising from them, but regretted that most of the political parties in the state waited till 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 primary elapses, we will not monitor such primary. The implication is that the political party did not conduct primary.
“Political parties are reminded that they must conduct valid primaries, in the venue chosen by them and communicated to the commission. The primaries must take place in the constituency where the election will take place and on the day indicated in their letter to the commission and using the mode of primaries voluntarily chosen by them,” he said.
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 elections adding that these Nigerians would certainly exercise their mandate.