2019: INEC in dilemma over security risk in North East

• Declares it’ll not postpone any election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is at crossroads over rising insecurity in the North East as preparations for the 2019 general elections are getting to conclusion point. INEC, it was gathered, will make decision on the security risk in the troubled zone being ravaged by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states.

National Daily gathered that the Commission admitted it is having consultation and collaboration with Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and the National and State Emergency Management Agencies on developing strategies for the Local Governments, Registration Areas and Polling Units that are under siege in the North East.

National Daily learnt that INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, acknowledged that the Commission is aware of the security challenges in the North East, the North Central and in several parts of Nigeria; insisting that INEC will conduct the 2019 elections in all parts of the country, including states facing security challenges.

Okoye had stated that INEC will in compliance with section 29(3) of the Electoral Act, 2010(as amended) and for the purposes of securing the vote, be responsible for requesting for the deployment of relevant security personnel required for the general elections.

The Commissioner was cited to have declared: “We assure the Nigerian people that adequate security will be in place before, during and after the elections.

“In other words, the 2019 elections will take place in all polling units, Registration Areas, Local Governments and States unless it is practically impossible to conduct elections in such places.

“The Commission is aware of security challenges in some Local Governments across the federation and will make a determination on the security risk involved in the said Registration Areas and Local Governments at the appropriate time.

“The Commission is aware that so many Nigerians are internally displaced and are in various camps and in the houses of relatives. Consequently, the Commission has set up a Committee to work out the modalities and parameters for IDP voting in the 2019 elections.”

Okoye maintained that this is in conformity with section 26(1) of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) which provides that in the event of any emergency affecting an election, the INEC shall as far as possible, ensure that persons displaced as a result of the emergency are not disenfranchised.

The Commissioner remarked that the timelines for the conduct of elections are constitutionally and legally circumscribed, adding that INEC is determined to conduct the 2019 elections within the timeframe provided in the Constitution.

“It is therefore not constitutionally and legally possible or permissible to postpone the 2019 elections. Some of the security challenges in Nigeria are isolated to some Registration Areas and Local Governments and the Commission has measures in place to ensure that people affected by insecurity in some of the Local Governments are not disenfranchised,” Okoye declared.

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