Pay attention to potential disruptive behaviour by some candidates- Yakubu to ICCES

Oru Leonard 

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu has called on security agencies to step action on vigilance and pay attention to the potential disruptive behaviour by some candidates and their supporters.

INEC Boss stated this while addressing members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) during a meeting held at the INEC Headquarters, Abuja on Tuesday, 23rd January 2024.

Yakubu urges security agencies to secure the environment to enable INEC deploy personnel and materials and the protection of observers, the media as well as the polling and collation agents representing the political parties and candidates.

According to him, the conduct of isolated elections such as bye-elections and re-run elections could be quite challenging, “We must pay attention to the potential disruptive behaviour by some candidates and their supporters.

“A re-run election conducted in one Polling Unit or a handful of Polling Units can be severely disrupted by acts of thuggery knowing full well that these few locations will determine the outcome of the election.”

He further said: “Arising from the reports we received from the States, concerns have been raised about the impact of the prevailing insecurity in some States on the conduct of the elections, made worse by incendiary statements by some political actors. We will present such concerns and reports at this meeting for appropriate security response.”

Speaking, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Dr. Kayode Egbetokun, said the Police as the lead agency in election security, will provide security alongside other security agencies for the bye elections and off-cycle elections.

“We are aware of the challenges associated with isolated elections, and I want to assure Nigerians that we are on top of the situation. We have analyzed all 26 states where the election is going to take place and we are going to deploy according to the strength and threat assessment.

“We are also going to deploy adequately and massively for these elections, just like we did in the last off-season elections. I want to assure Nigerians that this election that is coming is going to be conducted hitch-free. We are going to ensure the safety of officials who are going to be deployed for the election, we are going to ensure the safety of the electorate who are going to come out on the day of the election, we will ensure the safety of materials for the elections.”