Subair Mohammed, Idahosa Moses, Attahiru Ahmed, Nnanna Nwogu, Alphonsus Agborh, Godwin Otang, ‘Yomi Ayeleso, Hakeem Gbadamosi, Olayinka Olukoya, Ayodele Ajoge, Olakunle Maruf, Udeme Utip and Adelowo Oladipo
Amid growing concerns and socioeconomic realities, Sunday Tribune x-rayed the readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies ahead of the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.
With six days to the commencement of the general election across Nigeria, concerns about the readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a free and fair poll in the light of the socioeconomic realities across the country has continued to cast a dark cloud on the forthcoming poll.
The fears were heightened following the spate of attacks on INEC facilities and personnel as well as another swell of nationwide anger occasioned by the naira redesign policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which has inflicted pains on Nigerians in the last few weeks. In response, some aggrieved citizens have continued to attack bank branches in states while destroying their Automated Teller Machines (ATM).
Despite the fact the violent protests have led to the deaths of a few Nigerians and paralysed social and economic activities in some states, INEC has disclosed that nothing will stop the general election from taking place as planned.
Speaking at the commission’s second quarterly meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) held during the past week in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, re-echoed that the commission is ready to conduct and make the upcoming poll the fairest in the history of the country.
“The commission is determined that the 2023 general election will be the best ever and you are the people that will help the commission to make it happen and help to ensure that Nigeria has a pleasant experience on election day.
“INEC is not a political party. INEC has no candidate in the election. Our only interest is in the processes. The choice of who becomes what in Nigeria is left to the Nigerian people to decide,” the INEC chairman had said.
Checks by Sunday Tribune correspondents indicate that the prevailing cash crunch and unrest in the country may affect the much-anticipated elections across the country amidst other growing concerns.
The concerns over INEC’s readiness also revolve around the preparation of the commission over the movement of sensitive election materials amid the cash crunch, the effectiveness of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the total number of electorate expected at the polls and the capacity of security agencies to provide a sense of security for all stakeholders involved in the polls.
Other areas include the disenfranchisement of Nigerians whose Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have remained uncollected and those whose PVCs were not seen at the designated collection centres.
NORTH
Kwara
Further speaking on its readiness, INEC in Kwara State said that a total number of 415,860 PVCs have so far been collected by eligible voters, adding that about 218,078 PVCs are yet to be collected in the state. The commission also said that the total number of registered voters in the state stands at 1,695,927.
The PRO of the commission in the state, Ibraheema Halilulahi, who said that the commission was ready for the conduct of the general election, added that arrangements had reached 90 per cent.
Meanwhile, the Kwara State commands of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have expressed their readiness for the general elections.
In separate telephone interviews with our correspondent, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Okasanmi Ajayi and his NSCDC counterpart, Olasunkanmi Ayeni, said that men and officers of the two commands had been briefed on their responsibility and functions before, during and after the elections.
The Police PRO further said that the Commissioner of Police, Paul Odama, has ordered aggressive motorised and foot patrols of the state for the elections while advising parents and guardians to warn their children and wards to avoid being used as canon-folders by disgruntled political activists, “as anyone arrested in the process of committing any crime during the polls, would be made to face the consequences of such actions alone.”
Jigawa
In the same vein, the INEC REC in Jigawa State, Professor Muhammad Lawal Bashir, said the commission is doing everything possible within its power to ensure success of the exercise by providing an enabling environment for the smooth conduct of the exercise.
Sunday Tribune gathered that the state received 2,144,289 PVCs from 2019 till date as about 62,830 are yet to be claimed.
Speaking to Sunday Tribune in the state, the head of Voters Education and Publicity Department of INEC, Mr John Kaiwa, said that “in 2019, we received 2,111,106 PVCs and distributed 2,060,651. In that cycle, there were 50,509 unclaimed cards. Also we received 33,183 PVCs registered in the last quarter of 2021 and first quarter of 2022. From that, 20,862 were collected, leaving 12,321 in our disposal.”
Professor Lawal further solicited the support and cooperation of all stakeholders to ensure a hitch free poll.
Also, the Jigawa State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Effiom Emanual Ekot, said “the police would collaborate with the sister security agencies to maintain the existing peace in the state,” while expressing the need for the political parties and candidates to honour the peace accord signed for peaceful campaigning and all other election activities.
Zamfara
Despite blaming the commission’s inability to reach out to all communities during the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise, the INEC REC in charge of Zamfara State, Professor Sa’idu Babura, assured that the commission is ready for free, fair and credible elections in the state.
He noted that in spite of the challenges, INEC registered 211,970 persons in the last CVR exercise in the state, adding that the commission has made provisions for eligible voters in volatile areas as well as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) wherever they are currently seeking refuge.
The Zamfara State Commandant of NSCDC, Mohammed Bello Muazu, also assured of a peaceful and rancour-free elections, saying that he will leave no stone unturned to achieve the desired goal of free election before, during and after the exercise in the state.
This enthusiasm was shared by the police which equally assured that its men and officers are prepared to protect the lives and properties of every citizen during the exercise.
Sokoto
While addressing Divisional Police Officers and other heads of department in the command on Thursday, the Commissioner for Police in Sokoto State, Mohammed Usaini Gumel, assured that his command is doing everything possible to ensure that the election is free and fair in the state.
The CP said apart from the normal peace accord signed by the candidates in the state, the command will ensure that all candidates abide by the rules and regulations guiding peaceful conduct of the polls.
Efforts to speak with the head of media at INEC in the state, Muhammad Albani Takai, regarding the figure of collected PVCs were not successful as his number was switched off at the time of filing this report.
Kebbi
Checks by Sunday Tribune showed that the figure of collected PVCs in Kebbi State stands at 2,032,041. While fresh registration of voters in the state stood at 181,993, about 52,194 others transferred their PVCs from other states to Kebbi.
INEC Head of Public Relation and Voters Education in the state, Alhaji Rabiu Mohammed, said Kebbi State is fully ready for the exercise, saying that “we have received all our non-sensitive materials except for a few that are on the way.”
And on the readiness of security agencies, NSCDC PRO for the state, Hakeem Babatunde Adeyemi, stated that as far as they are concerned, the outfit is fully prepared for the elections. Police PRO, Nafiu Abubakar, neither answered phone calls put across to him, nor replied to text messages sent to him.
Niger
INEC in Niger State said its 21,000 electoral officials are ready for the 2.6 million registered voters in the state. The commission, however, said it would adding that would not conduct election in about 10 polling units in Kontagora, Magama,and Mashegu Local Governments due to the absence of voters in the polling units.
The REC, Alhaji Ahmed Yushua Garki, who stated this during an expanded stakeholders meeting in the commission’s Conference Hall in Minna on Friday, added that the commission is making adequate arrangements to conduct elections in the IDP camps in the state.
While giving a breakdown of the registered voters, Garki explained that 1,152,185 voters representing 42.7 per cent are female, while the remaining 1,546,159 representing 57.3 percent are male.
Garki further mentioned that 25 per cent of the materials required for the elections have so far been dispatched to the respective LGAs in preparation for the exercise.
SOUTH
In the Southern region, the story was similar as the electoral body expressed its readiness to conduct a free and fair election in the states.
Oyo
Checks by Sunday Tribune showed that about 800,000 PVCs are yet to be collected in Oyo State. However, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Adeniran Tella, is expected to give an update at a stakeholder meeting scheduled to hold tomorrow (Monday) in Ibadan, the state capital.
Adeniran in one of his meetings with newsmen disclosed that the commission has embarked on a sensitisation campaign on the need for the voters to have their PVCs.
According to him, in spite of the various campaign strategies adopted by the commission, 800,000 PVCs are awaiting collection.
On the readiness of the commission for the elections, the REC disclosed that the commission has test-run its facilities including the BVAS, adding that the outcome is favourable
On security, he said the commission, in collaboration with the relevant security agencies, is putting measures in place at ensuring hitch-free elections.
Also, the state police command’s Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, said necessary security apparatus are in place for the conduct of credible elections, adding that personnel have been trained and retrained on their responsibility as security agents during the election.
Ogun
During a stakeholders’s forum organised by the electoral body ahead of the elections in Ogun State, INEC REC, Niyi Ijalaye, disclosed that a total of 2,688,305 voters are registered in the state ahead of the election, adding that 2,276,219 PVCs have been collected at the end of the exercise on February 5.
He explained that the commission had issued the soft copies of the voter register to all political parties in the state.
“We have printed all our voter registers and they have been checked and certified to be in line with the requirement,” he added.
The INEC boss added that the commission had received most of the non-sensitive materials which have been deployed to all the 20 local government areas in the state.
Ijalaye said: “Electoral officers are batching these materials into registration areas in preparation for the election. Sensitive materials are being forwarded to the state by the commission and we have inspected them and they are in the right quantity as required.”
On logistics and transportation of electoral materials, Ijalaye explained that the commission had engaged the leadership of all road transport unions operating in the state, while assuring that all the facilities of the commission have been adequately fortified with the assistance of various security agencies in the state.
Speaking with Sunday Tribune, the state Police PRO, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the command was prepared for the elections, adding that every machinery had been put in place to ensure credible elections.
Oyeyemi said the command is not leaving any stone unturned on the elections matter, adding that the police in the state are working with other security agencies.
Ondo
In Ondo State, INEC declared that over 1.68 million residents of the state were eligible to participate in the exercise.
Head of Voter Education, Publicity, Gender and Civil Society Organisation of INEC in the state, Mrs. Olufunmike Segun-Osifeso, who disclosed this in a chat with the Sunday Tribune, said a total number of 1,686,389 voters would participate in the election.
She, however, said 304,955 PVCs are yet to be collected by their owners, adding that the figure included those who applied for new PVCs and others.
Speaking on the commission’s level of preparedness in the state, Mrs Segun-Osifeso assured residents of the state of the commission’s preparedness to conduct the general election.
According to her, the state had received non-sensitive materials, saying about 72 per cent had been received and kept with the CBN in the state.
According to her, “INEC in Ondo State is ready, we have collected all sensitive materials, we have prepared up to 72 per cent.
“Some of the sensitive materials have arrived and they are with the CBN. As we speak, some vehicles have gone to our zonal office in Osogbo, Osun State, to collect more of those sensitive materials.
“In terms of personnel, we have recruited. Now it is time for the training of all our personnel that applied online. In the areas of posting corps members to the polling units, we have been doing training for them by the local government and we have been doing that for a while.”
The state police command also assured the residents of the state of peaceful elections across the 18 local government areas.
Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr. Oyeyemi Oyediran, said the commission would still speak on some of the measures that had been put in place later this week.
He said the command had organised a meeting among the stakeholders in the election wherein they signed a peace accord, saying the move became necessary in order to ensure a peaceful atmosphere during the forthcoming general election.
Commandant of the NSCDC in Ondo State, Mr Olayinka Olatundun, also expressed the command’s readiness to mobilise his men for the elections.
He said: “This year is a peculiar year, and everyone is on their toes. We understand the curiosity of everyone on how the election will be conducted without hitches. I would like to let you know that I personally will be deployed for election duty.”
Lagos
In Lagos State, the REC, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, said that overall total number of 7,637,402 PVCS were received from the national headquarters, adding that 6,708,451 representing 87.87 per cent have been collected by their owners while 928,951 old and new PVCs representing 12.16 per cent are yet to be collected.
Speaking on security measures, the new police boss in Lagos,CPIdowuOwohunwa, assured residents of the resolve of the police to ensure a hitch-free election, noting that he is leveraging the efforts already put in motion by the immediate past CP.
The Lagos CP also stated that “I, however, call on all the electorate to cooperate with us and exercise their franchise within the ambits of the law in the electoral process as the command is committed to identifying, isolating, and dealing decisively with any person or group that intends to put our resolve to ensure peace within the electoral process to test.
“In this regard, while electoral adversaries will be brought to justice in the swiftest manner, peace-loving and law-abiding electorate will be duly protected, and the electoral space fully policed for this purpose.”
Ekiti
The REC in Ekiti State, Professor Ayobami Salami, has revealed that the electoral umpire has put in place necessary measures to ensure the success of Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections.
Salami told Sunday Tribune that a total of 789,318 persons are expected to vote in the election with their PVCs out of the 988,923 registered voters, adding that 199,605 PVCs were uncollected in the state.
He declared that non-sensitive materials had been deployed to the 16 local government areas for onward transmission to the registration areas, assuring the electorate that the commission would open the polls as expected on the day of election.
The REC solicited the support of the political parties and their candidates to the successful conduct of the election, by conducting themselves in a peaceful manner and following the already established rules and guidelines for the general election.
As part of the preparation for the election, Professor Salami said that training of ad hoc staff had commenced with the remaining batch of personnel to be deployed for the election across the 2,445 polling units would be trained this weekend.
According to him, the BVAS that would be used for the election would enhance the credibility of the poll, noting that over-voting and other electoral malpractices would be exposed by the technological device.
To ensure peaceful election, the REC stated that a peace accord had been signed by political parties presenting candidates for the election in the state.
“In this regard, I humbly appeal to all political parties and candidates to ensure that the general election is peaceful in this state. Kindly educate your followers on the need to always allow peace to reign and do not make this election a do or die affair,” he said.
The PPRO in Ekiti State, ASP Sunday Abutu, said the command had made necessary arrangements and deployments towards having a successful February 25 election in the state.
Abutu noted that the operatives of the command had been trained on modern election security and management, warning those planning to unleash violence would be dealt with accordingly.
The spokesman of the NSCDC, Afolabi Tolulope, told Sunday Tribune that “the command is ready to make sure that the general election is devoid of security challenges. This we will do by joining forces with the Nigeria Police and other paramilitary agencies in the state to make sure we have a free and fair election as well as ensuring the system works in line with the Electoral Act.”
Cross River
INEC in Cross River State also reaffirmed its readiness for the presidential election with the distribution of 259,224 PVCs to prospective voters across the state.
Data obtained from INEC by Sunday Tribune showed that 16,338 out of 97,318 PVCs received from the 2019 cycle had been distributed to their owners, while a total number of 200,700 out of 234,109 PVCs received from the 2021/2022 fresh registration cycle were collected for distribution to their owners.
INEC’s data further showed that a total number of 42,186 out of 71,885 PVCs of transferred voters were received in the state for the 2021/2022 cycle.
The Commissioner of Police in the state also hinted that “there was a joint security meeting on February 15, 2023 on the preparedness of security agencies during the elections.”
Delta State
Checks by Sunday Tribune showed that over 305,000 voters in Delta State are yet to collect their PVCs with just a few days before the general election among the total number of 3.2 million voters registered by INEC in the state.
This was disclosed by the Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr Bukola Ojeme, who also said so far, 467,691 PVCs have been collected, while 305,245 are yet to be collected by their owners.
Explaining the readiness of the commission for the election in the state, Ojeme said all apparatus had been put in place for the exercise.
He said the electoral body had met executives of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and transportation owners as well as Marine Union to fine-tune the arrangements for the hiring of buses and boats that would be used to convey materials to various locations.
Ojeme disclosed that BVAS machines have been configured for 23 of the 25 local government areas, stressing that over 6,000 BVAS machines were deployed to the state for the election.
He pointed out that a total of 24,273 staff including 563 Supervisory Polling Officers (SPOs) for the conduct of the presidential and National Assembly elections in Delta would be engaged.
Ojeme reiterated the assurances of the INEC chairman, Mahmoud Yakubu, that there would be an election on February 25, saying: “this year’s election is going to be like no other before because there will be less litigation if there’s going to be.”
He disclosed that INEC would be moving sensitive materials from the CBN to cluster and polling units a day before the election to avoid the late arrival of election materials.
On the part of the police, the PPRO, DSP Bright Edafe, said the command, working with other security agencies, is not relenting to carry out its task during the election.
He said the Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Ari, had already put the men on their toes by enlightening them on the dos and don’ts expected of them during and after the election.
Edo
Speaking on the preparation of INEC in Edo State, the Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Timidi Wariowei, said that out of the total number of 2,501,081 registered voters in Edo, only 1,996,088 people have collected their PVCs with 504,996 PVCs that are yet to be collected. He added that prior to the 2021 CVR, the state INEC was in possession of 399,149 old and uncollected PVCs.
Wariowei said the commission has distributed about 95 per cent of the non-sensitive materials to its local government offices in the state while noting that some of the sensitive materials for the elections have arrived in the state and are currently kept in the Edo State Branch of the CBN.
He said: “Some of the sensitive materials are already at the state branch of CBN, which will be later taken to local government offices in the state for the election. We have received all the BVAS machines that the commission will use for accreditation of voters and they are all ready for the elections in the state.
“The commission’s Information Communication Technology (ICT) Department has started configuring the BVAS machines that we are going to use for the election in Edo. In the next few days, they will conclude the configuring of the machines. As we speak (on Thursday), about 95 per cent of the non-sensitive materials have arrived at the state office and we have also sent them to the local government offices.”
Speaking to our correspondent on phone, NSCDC PRO in Edo, Mr. Richard Ogbebor, said the command is fully ready to provide security before, during and after the election, disclosing further that the command had in the past week sensitised the people on the need to embrace peace in the state.
He also assured that the command would be deploying his men across the state in collaboration with other security agencies towards ensuring that the election is peaceful.
All attempts to speak with the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of state Command, SP Chidi Nwabuzor, on phone proved abortive.
Akwa Ibom
In Akwa Ibom State, about 80 percent of the 2,350,000 registered voters have collected their PVCs excluding those on permanent transfer and those that are dead. Public Relations Officer of INEC in the state, Mr. Odaro Aisien, however said the actual figure of already claimed PVCs could not be determined as electorate were collecting their PVCs in batches.
He also disclosed that all necessary materials had been moved to locations apart from the sensitive materials, adding that the necessary training for ad-hoc staff had been concluded.
On security measures put in place for the election, Aisien said the police, as a lead agency, have assured all of adequate security repeatedly during meetings and engagement.
Abia
In Abia State, INEC Head, Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Rebecca Jimmy, said the official figure of registered voters stands at 2,120,808. She said the commission is still expecting the official number of residents that have collected their PVCs.
She expressed the readiness of the commission in the state to conduct the elections, saying: “We are very ready to conduct the elections in Abia. Everything is in place. The only challenge we have is non-availability of cash.”
Also speaking, the Abia State Police Command’s PRO, Geoffrey Ogbonna, said the police are fully prepared for the election as all polling stations have police and other security agencies posted.
He stated the command had concluded plans “to secure sensitive and non-sensitive materials, voters, candidates and INEC staff and ad-hoc staff.”
According to the NSCDC Commandant in the state, Muhammad Hassan Sanyinnastate, the command had just trained another batch of its personnel on light weapons handling.
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