It is responsibility of all Nigerians to protect INEC facilities ― Professor Yakubu

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has said the protection of his commission facilities is the joint responsibility of all Nigerians.

He made the declaration on Monday at a meeting with the West African Elders Forum in Abuja.

The team was led by former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Koroma.

It would be recalled that INEC facilities have been at the receiving end of arsonists in recent tine across the country.

Yakubu told his guests that his commission was making adequate preparations ahead of next general elections but noted that security remains a big challenge.

He said: “Your visit is coming 81 days to our general election which will hold in two phases beginning with the national election (Presidential and National Assembly) holding on Saturday 25th February 2023, followed two weeks later by the state elections (Governorship and State Houses of Assembly) on Saturday 11th March 2023.

“Our preparations are approaching concluding stages. We are conducting the 2023 general election with a new Electoral Act and several innovations in voter accreditation and result management. We are confident in our processes but we will not be complacent. Responsibilities within our control are handled diligently.

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“However, there are a few areas of concern, the main one being the prevailing insecurity in the country. In less than two weeks, three of our Local Government offices were attacked across the country, bringing the total number of such attacks to seven in the last four months.

“While we want to reassure Nigerians that we will recover from these attacks, and the election will proceed as scheduled, we would like to appeal to all citizens to see the commission’s facilities as national asset. It is our collective responsibility to join hands in protecting them. The attacks must stop and the perpetrators swiftly apprehended and prosecuted.

“We look forward to hearing from our elders. We believe that your words of wisdom will be beneficial to our work.”

In his remarks, the former President of Sierra Leone urged the INEC chairman to speak frankly on crucial areas of needed assistance.