The Nigerian government must as a matter of urgency rally all stakeholders to ensure better security in the country ahead of the 2023 general election.
This was the summary of contributions at the weekend when scholars, security experts and election managers spoke during an online symposium with the theme: ‘2023 General Election: Enhancing Internal Security for Credible Polls.’
Speakers at the event included a former national commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Lai Olurode, a professor of Political Science at the Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto; Ilufoye Sarafa Ogundiya; a Senior Research Fellow at the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER); Dr Hakeem Tijani and the Commandant-General of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Dr Abubakar Ahmed Audi.
At the virtual event organised in honour of the Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, who clocked 65, Ogundiya, in his paper, averred that Nigeria must as a matter of urgency, allow democracy to make sense to the people for them to embrace peaceful elections.
He alluded to a recent alarm raised by the INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, over the threats to the exercise.
Giving statistics, Ogundiya said between 2011 and 2021, 58,562 persons were killed by terrorists in seven northern states of Borno, Zamfara, Kaduna, Adamawa, Yobe, Benue and Plateau.
Saying the next elections would pose serious challenge to the Nigerian state, Ogundiya said insecurity has many dimensions which he listed as economic, psychological, emotional and political dimensions.
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For the coming elections, he listed the implications as increased apathy, disenfranchisement, poor voters’ turnout and election management complications.
In his submission, Olurode said security forms part of what he called ‘critical stakeholders of election’, adding, “As far as I know, I think INEC is 85 per cent ready for the election. But INEC has security challenges to face. When you consider the number of policemen to secure polling units. The police in Nigeria are overwhelmed.”
Apart from security agencies, Olurode listed other critical stakeholders to elections management as political parties, voters and the courts.
Tijani, in his contributions, said recent surveys have demonstrated a progressive growth in apathy by Nigerians to elections.
He said a recent study showed that of many African countries, Nigeria came out worst in the rate of apathy with 34 per cent in turnout.
Dr Audi, in his presentation, said no country is crime-free, urging Nigerians not to give up in the face of insecurity.
Audi said under the present administration, the battle against banditry and terrorism has been fought relentlessly.
He said though terrorism and banditry have contributed their quota to the anxieties over the conduct of the 2023 general election, politicians themselves have fuelled the crisis that makes elections look terribly challenged.
The NSCDC boss said his corps stays neutral in all election issues, adding that “as election managers, people need to see that we are neutral as managers and we must be seen to be partisan and expected to provide security for everybody.
“On our part, we are ready and through our platforms, we are ready to provide a level-playing field for all voters, citizens,” Audi stated.
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