In the final days to the commencement of this year’s general elections, the nation’s security agencies have dismissed any suggestion of putting off the exercise, declaring that they are ready to guarantee peaceful polls in the country.
The chief of defence staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabo, yesterday reassured Nigerians that the armed forces and other security agencies were ready to provide a safe and secure environment for the 2023 general elections.
Irabor gave the assurance while briefing newsmen shortly after the meeting with service chiefs and heads of security agencies yesterday in Abuja.
He also warned those that intend to cause trouble during the elections to have a rethink “because they will have a bloody nose”.
Irabor held a closed-door meeting with the service chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force, Inspector-General of Police, directors-generals of the Department of State Services and National Intelligence Agency, as well as the chief of Dsefence Intelligence.
He said the purpose of the meeting was to review the election security and develop action plans to ensure that the elections hold under a peaceful atmosphere.
“We have just finished the meeting – the service chiefs, the Inspector General, Police, the DSS, represented by the director of operations, the DG NIA and the CDI – looking at the security for the elections, and, as you know, the police is the lead agency for elections security, and we have compared notes and assessed the entire situation and we are good to go.
“The assessment is that we are set on all fronts. We got representation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who, of course, you have interacted with, who has also told Nigerians and the world that they are ready for this election.
“So, by and large, we are good to go and I like to use the opportunity to assure Nigerians that on the security front we are good to go on all fronts,” he said.
Irabor also gave assurance that the security agencies were also ready to ensure that every part of the country would have peaceful elections, and that Nigerians exercise their franchise.
He added that contingency actions had been taken to address the areas with peculiar security challenges.
Commonwealth Observers Task INEC, Candidates On Credible Elections
Ahead of this weekend’s general elections, the chairperson of the Commonwealth Observer Group to Nigeria, Thabo Mbeki, has stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to conduct a peaceful and inclusive election in Nigeria.
The former president of South Africa also urged the country’s political parties, candidates, and their supporters to play their part in ensuring peaceful, transparent, and credible elections on Saturday.
Mbeki, who made the comments yesterday in Abuja, while speaking during a courtesy visit to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following the arrival of Commonwealth observers in Nigeria, noted that they came very hopeful and very confident that Nigeria will have successful elections.
“We are hopeful that there will be no complaints. In good measure that depends on yourself as a person, the honourable members of INEC, and many other people around the country that constitute your team, a very sizeable team of people.”
Mbeki said that understanding INEC as observers was important because, in the end, they will make a statement about the elections. More important, according to him, is that the Commonwealth would make recommendations about whatever they think, in terms of the elections.
Therefore, Mbeki said having a comprehensive and accurate picture as possible about the election is important, and INEC being a central player in that process is very critical.
Only Nigerians Can Determine Their Leaders, Says Yakubu
On his part, the INEC chairman, Prof Yakubu Mahmood, thanked the Commonwealth for honouring the letter of invitation sent to the Secretary General of the Commonwealth inviting the Commonwealth Election Observation Mission to Nigeria.
He said: “The 2023 general election is the seventh successive general election in Nigeria since the restoration of democracy in 1999. This is the longest period of electoral democracy. We have a voter population of 93 million; that means that we have 16.7 million more voters than the other 14 counties in West Africa put together. So it’s time that the course is like the whole of West Africa and beyond; such is the sheer size of elections in Nigeria.”
He said INEC has benefited from the previous election observation and introduced some innovations from the observer group.
“We don’t take your observations likely, especially recommendations that require administrative action by the Commission. And those that required amendment, particularly legislation, we also liaised with the National Assembly to provide the necessary legislation and those that required amendment,” he stated.
He also reiterated that the Commission is committed to a free and fair process.
“I want to assure you that INEC is not a political party; we don’t have a candidate in the election. The choice of who becomes president in the general election is in the hands of Nigerian voters. We are committed to creating credible and verifiable elections,” he added.
Earlier at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, the Commonwealth Election Observer Group to the February 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections in Nigeria called on all stakeholders to ensure peaceful and credible elections, stressing that the outcomes of the elections will be significant not only for Nigeria but also for the entire African continent.
Therefore, we urge all stakeholders in Nigeria to uphold their commitment to ensure a peaceful and inclusive election in which the people of Nigeria are able to freely exercise their right to vote, with the fundamental freedoms of expression, association and assembly fully respected.
“Our mandate is to observe and assess the pre-election period, activities on polling day and the post-election period. Throughout, we will consider all factors relating to the credibility of the electoral process. We will assess whether the elections are conducted according to the standards for democratic elections to which Nigeria has committed itself. As we undertake this assessment and conduct our duties, we will be objective, independent and impartial,” he said.
According to him, the Observer Group comprises 16 eminent persons from around the Commonwealth, including politicians, diplomats and experts in law, human rights, gender equality and election administration.
He went on: “The Commonwealth Observer Group has no executive role; our function is not to supervise but to observe the process as a whole and to form a judgement accordingly.
“When we make observations, our intent is to offer constructive support to help strengthen the democratic culture, process and institutions in Nigeria. In doing so, the Commonwealth Observer Group will make recommendations to the authorities concerned on institutional, procedural and other matters as would assist the holding of such elections in the future,” he said.
LEADERSHIP reports that the Commonwealth Team has been in Nigeria since February 18 for its seventh Observer Mission to Nigeria since 1999. Its mandate is to observe and assess the pre-election period, activities on polling day and the post-election period. The team will visit Sokoto, Lagos, Ondo, Benue, Kano, Edo and Rivers States. It will also observe elections in Abuja.
JNI Demands Free, Fair Elections
The Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, has urged domestic and international observers, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and others to demonstrate real commitment to free, fair and credible 2023 elections, saying they should be honest, diligent and faithful in discharging the exercise.
JNI secretary-general, Dr. Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, in a statement yestetday, also called on INEC personnel, security agencies, media practitioners, and other relevant agencies concerned to keep to its duty with sincerity.
The statement prayed for peaceful and credible 2023 general elections.
JNI said: “Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) National Headquarters sees election observation as a valuable tool towards improving the quality of elections in Nigeria. Observers help build public confidence in the transparency of electoral processes. They help promote and protect the civic and franchise rights of participants in elections”
“They also help towards correction of errors or administrative deficiencies that lead to manipulation and fraud, or expose such problems if they occur.”
JNI is one of the accredited observers in the forthcoming 2023 general election and had engaged qualified members from its state branches across the country to partake in the exercise.
