Nigeria Decides 2023: Insecurity, logistics threaten voting process – INEC
By Joel Oladele-Abuja
As Nigerians are out to exercise their franchise to elect a new president, Senators and House of representative members across the country, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has linked some of the challenges faced in the process to insecurity and logistics.
The INEC chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu disclosed this while briefing journalists at the International Conference Center (ICC) in Abuja-the collation center of the 2023 presidential election.
Professor Mahmood said the commision has been observing the process nationwide and doing everything possible to ensure the success of the election despite the perennial challenges of insecurity and logistics.
He added that this is the first time since 2011 that the general election is not being postponed. A feat he traced to the commission’s determination to ensure that they continue to do what is right.
The chairman therefore assured the electorates at locations where voting started late to be patient as the voting process will not end until everyone on the queue before 2:30pm is allowed to vote.
“Voting is going on nationwide, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) deployed nationwide for the first time has been functioning optimally in most parts of the country.
“Based on the reports we have received from various states of the Federation and the FCT, some challenges were identified, one of which is the inability of the commision in a number of places to open the polling units at the appointed hour of 8:30am.
” Some of the polling units opened late but in line with our policy, any Nigerian who is on the queue will have the opportunity to vote no matter how long it takes, the last person on the queue before 2:30pm will vote.
“Some of the reasons we couldn’t open the polling units on time are one of the perennial problems of logistics despite our efforts. I think in 2023 we have conquered the challenge of getting election materials to various locations.
“Yes, there may be complaints here and there but generally speaking, we have delivered hundreds of millions of ballot papers that we were supposed to deliver for the election but another contributing factor to the late opening of the polling units is the perennial insecurity challenge in the country.” The chairman said.
He noted that bandits and thugs attempted to disrupt the process at some specific locations in Niger, Delta and Katsina States but the commision with the help of security agencies were able to prevail.
“For instance, we couldn’t deploy materials to Alawa in Shiroro Local Government of Niger State. bandits launched an attack not necessarily on INEC officials but in the area. So on the advise of the security agencies, we tarried a while but I’m happy to say that we were able to deploy eventually and voting in that location is ongoing as we speak.
“Similarly, Osimili Local Government Area of Delta state, thugs attacked the polling unit and two BVAS machines were lost in the process. But again, with the determination that the election must continue, we were able to replace the stolen BVAS machines, reinforced security and voting continued in that location.
“Also, in Savannah Local Government Area of Katsina State, thugs attacked one of our voting locations and snatched six BVAS machines but again we were able to recover and used the spare BVAS machines and reinforced security for voting to continue in those Locations.
” Happily, the security agencies have recovered three of the BVAS machines. So in these locations, the target of attacks was actually the BVAS machines, no more ballot papers or ballot boxes but the BVAS machines. However, in the two instances, we were able to recover and continued with the process.” Mahmood noted
