How safe is Nigeria for the polls?

As the Muhammadu Buhari presidency winds down, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has almost concluded plans to organise a credible, fair and transparent 2023 polls. But with terrorists, armed bandits, kidnappers, oil thieves, and other criminals still holding the country to ransom, no thanks to their violent activities, patriotic and concerned Nigerians will be forced to ask: is the country safe for the 2023 general election?

Lately, INEC raised an alarm saying that the current insecurity may force the commission to postpone or cancel the forthcoming polls if not properly addressed by the concerned authorities. Noting that the development could hinder the declaration of election results and precipitate a constitutional crisis, the electoral umpire called for concerted efforts to stem the tide of violence.

Looking at the appropriate measures put in place by various security agencies, it can be inferred that Nigeria can go ahead with the 2023 polls, but not totally ignoring the chances of one form of security glitch that can be recorded here and there, which has been an integral part of the election process since its inception.

Again, more attention should be focused to curtailing the rampaging activities of terror organisations in the South-East as well as bandits, kidnappers and insurgents in the northern region, as they pose the biggest threats to this year’s polls.

• Ya›u Madobi Mukhtar, Kano.

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