The coordinated attacks on the facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) across the country have sparked the rage of the National Security Adviser (NSA), Maj-Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd) and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) UsmanBaba Akali.
Yesterday, the duo read the riot act against further attacks on the offices of INEC, saying that security agencies had been given clear-cut directives to deal decisively with individuals or groups working to scuttle the 2023 electoral process.
Muungano and Akali also slammed political participants over violent clashes at political meetings and rallies.
So far, there have been 50 incidents of physical attacks during the ongoing political campaigns across 21 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Commission’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, noted that “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 house of assembly).”
He added that “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.”
The trio spoke at the emergency meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) held at INEC Headquarters.
The NSA, in his terse remark, assured that the security agencies have been given clear-cut instructions “to preempt and deal with any situation in which any rogue organization or institution decides to embark on what we consider to be a fundamentally criminal enterprise.”
