The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has expressed worry that if no urgent and decisive steps are taken, the attacks on its offices and political parties will intensify as the nation counts down to the 2023 general election.
INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, who stated this in Abuja on Thursday during an emergency meeting with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, said the spate of attacks during electioneering campaigns by political parties is increasing rather than decreasing.
Yakubu noted that “a peaceful campaign heralds a peaceful election. We need to take decisive steps to stem the ugly trend.”
While decrying the spate of attacks on INEC offices and political parties in the run up to the 2023 polls, he said the commission has so far tracked 50 incidents of attack across 21 states of the federation and Abuja during the ongoing political campaigns and rallies.
His remarks follow simultaneous attacks on INEC facilities in Abeokuta South in Ogun State and Ede South Local Government office in Osun State, which occurred around 1:15am and 6.00am on Thursday respectively.
Speaking on the extent of damage on the facilities, the INEC chairman said while the damage in the attack in Ede South was minimal, that of Abeokuta South was extensive.
He added that materials destroyed include 904 ballot boxes, 29 voting cubicles, 8 electric power generators, 57 election bags, 30 megaphones, 65,699 uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, PVCs, and a host of other assorted items such as stamps and stamp pads.
According to him, the commission has come to the conclusion that the attacks may not be isolated, but has however left that determination to the security agencies who are investigating the incidents.
“These unhappy occurrences are coming just a little over one month into the election campaign which is scheduled to last for about five months from 28th September 2022 to 23rd February 2023 for national elections (Presidential and National Assembly) and from 12th October 2022 to 11th March 2023 for State elections (Governorship and Houses of Assembly).
“The Commission is worried that if no urgent and decisive steps are taken, the attacks will intensify as we approach the election date. As we all know, a peaceful campaign heralds a peaceful election. We need to take decisive steps to stem the ugly trend,” he said.
Yakubu stressed the importance of security agencies to move swiftly and apprehend perpetrators of the attacks, prosecute them as required by law and reinforce security around election officials and electoral infrastructure around the country.
He assured Nigerians of INEC’s commitment to delivering credible elections in spite of the challenges, adding that the attempt to sabotage or weaken the commission’s resolve will not deter it from conducting transparent elections in which only the votes cast by Nigerians on election day will determine winners of elections.
On the PVCs destroyed in the attacks, he said “For Abeokuta South Local Government Area office, the destruction was total. Consequently, the Commission is relocating our staff to the old State office (also known as INEC Office Annex) in Oke-Ilewo area of Abeokuta.
“All activities involving the 15 Registration Areas (Wards) and 445 Polling Units in Abeokuta South Local Government Area will henceforth be coordinated from the new location in Oke-Ilewo. Similarly, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ogun State has been directed to compile the Voter Identification Numbers (VINs) of all the 65,699 Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) lost in the attack from our database and submit the record for immediate reprint.
He assured affected registered voters in Abeokuta South that no one will be disenfranchised as a result of this dastardly act.
Also speaking, the National Security Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, Major General Babagana Monguno, warned leaders of groups perpetrating violence in the country to rein in their members as no individual or political party would be allowed to disrupt 2023 elections.
Monguno, who vowed to deal ruthlessly with violent individuals, said security agencies will unleash a shocker against perpetrators of violence, adding that President Buhari has already given a directive to all security agencies to deal with electoral violence
The emergency meeting was attended by the the National Security Adviser to the President, the Inspector General of Police, representatives of the Armed forces, Airforce. DSS, Federal Fire Service, amongst others.