EditorINDEPENDENT National Electoral Commission (INEC), has held an emergency security meeting to address issues that may obstruct the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Anambra State.
The meeting was held due to reports of threats of disruption of the election.
INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu during the meeting which was organized in Abuja on Monday, said reports reaching the commission were that many hoodlums have vowed to ensure that the election scheduled for November 6, 2021, must not hold.
“From the reports we have received, the stated goal of many of the attackers is that the Governorship election scheduled for 6th November 2021 must not hold.
“This is worrisome for the Commission. We are deeply concerned that specific electoral facilities and materials could once more become targets of attack.”
The INEC boss stated that it has never happened in the history of the commission when issue of election security in a Governorship election became as urgent as is the case now in Anambra, adding that the situation has places an enormous task on the electoral body.
He lamented about attacks on INEC’s electoral facilities in the state, witnessed in previous months and noted that it is a big challenge for security agencies to safeguard the facilities and materials for the exercise.
He said, “This is worrisome for the Commission. We are deeply concerned that specific electoral facilities and materials could once more become targets of attack.
“We appreciate the enormous challenges that the security agencies are presently facing in Anambra State, which entail not only securing the electoral process, but also enforcing law and order generally. This is particularly worrisome because the security agencies have also become prime targets of these mindless attacks.
“Recall that in May this year, our State Office at Awka was attacked and all the non-sensitive materials assembled for the election at the time were destroyed. In addition, our store, collation centre and the main office building were either totally or substantially damaged. The Commission also lost several vehicles to be used for the election.
“The Commission is particularly concerned about the safety of voters and Election Day staff, including security officials who have also become the targets of these attacks. The thousands of young Nigerians that we intend to deploy for the election, most of them National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and university students, need to be reassured of their personal safety.
“We have almost fully recovered from that attack. The destroyed buildings have either been completely repaired or are nearing completion and we have fully replaced the materials destroyed. This rapid recovery has only been possible because this is an off-season election. We have sourced some of these materials such as the 326 electric generators and vehicles destroyed in the attack from neighbouring States.”
Yakubu emphasized that if anything happens again leading to loss of vital election materials, preparation for the exercise would be adversely affected.
He assured Anambra people that the commission is determined to conduct the election as scheduled, stating that the electoral body will carry out two more activities in the election timetable which include presentation of the register of voters to political parties in Awka and publishing the final list of candidates for the election on Thursday 7th October 2021.
On that note, he said, “We are confident that at the end of this meeting, we will firm up on specific measures necessary to further guarantee the safety of all persons involved in the election from the voters, election officials, observers, media organizations and the security of election materials,” INEC boss stated.
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