The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has again raised a red flag on the 2023 elections.
It said the prevailing security threats to the electoral process were more than those of 2019 general elections.
According to the commission, 42 of its facilities have been attacked in 14 states across the federation.
It also expressed concerns over lack of internal democracy in political parties and the unwilling nature of political actors to accept electoral outcomes.
These fears are contained in INEC Strategic Plan 2022-2026 which was unveiled by the commission’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
Extracts from the 160-page document gave insights into the challenges facing INEC ahead of the 2023 poll.
INEC says: “In the past several months, the security situation in the country has assumed worrying dimensions.
“The Commission’s assets and facilities, being spread across all the 774 LGAs (local government areas) and state capitals in the country, have come under various forms of security threats including vandalism and arson.
“In more specific terms, across the six geopolitical zones, the threat levels have gone far beyond what obtained during the 2019 general election.
“A total of forty-two (42) attacks across fourteen (14) states nationwide from 2019 to date have suddenly raised serious security threats to the commission’s assets and personnel. While details of these attacks are presented in the figure below, the physical security of the commission’s offices, personnel and assets need now be taken as seriously as election security has been.
“Although the attacks have considerably waned in the past few weeks, it is important to now fully integrate security considerations in all phases of the activities of the commission:
- Location of offices and facilities; provision of protection to these facilities;
- Staff training and capacity building on basic security awareness and measures;
- Increased collaboration and coordination with ICCES at all levels and deployment of technology for securing staff, facilities and materials.”
The electoral commission faulted lack of internal democracy in political parties which has led to pre-election litigations in which it has been a nominal party.
It claimed that the attitude of parties and actors had accounted for frequency of by-elections and re-run elections.
The commission said it has reached a point where the commission conducts an election virtually every month.
It said before last poll, the commission conducted over 190 by-and re-run elections arising from the 2015 general election.
INEC said: “Political parties are key institutions in the democratization process. As such their management, operations and internal processes have a huge impact on the conduct of elections and on the wider process.
“For instance, the lack of internal party democracy has tremendous implications on the leadership selection process, negatively affecting not just the parties themselves, but also the wider electoral process.
“The frequency of by- and re-run elections has meant that the commission conducts an election virtually every month. This has had a significant impact on raising the cost of elections and has put the Commission virtually in an ‘election mode’ all-year round sometimes to the eve of general elections.
“For example, the commission conducted over 190 by-and re-run elections arising from the 2015 general election, taking part of much needed time for the preparation of the 2019 general election.
“It is also of significant concern that while the conduct of elections at the federal level is adjudged as largely, free and fair, elections at the level of local councils leave much to be desired and have adverse implications for democratic consolidation.”
INEC however decried the attitude of political actors in the country, especially their refusal to accept poll outcomes.
It added: “Overall, the political context within which the commission conducts elections is dynamic, informed as it is by the behavior and activities of several electoral stakeholders in the process.
“With the conduct of six successive general elections across five electoral cycles, democratic consolidation in Nigeria can be said to be well underway, albeit with significant challenges.
“Political actors are unwilling to accept electoral outcomes, turning some political contests into theatres of war.
“This has serious negative political consequences for the electoral process with an overbearing impact on the competition for political power and on the conduct of elections, often manifested in election violence and related electoral malpractices.”
The electoral umpire pleaded with the National Assembly electoral legal proposals aimed at addressing operational challenges it is facing in the conduct of elections.
It said: “The general as well as several by and re-run elections conducted after the 2015 and 2019 general elections have raised quite a number of legal and administrative challenges for the commission that needed to be addressed to help consolidate and sustain the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.
“On the electoral legal framework, the commission had before both the 2015 and 2019 general elections submitted comprehensive suggestions aimed at addressing the observed operational challenges faced in the conduct of elections.
“These proposals are still before the National Assembly and their early passage will go a long way in strengthening the commission’s operations and identified gaps.
“Administratively, the commission had, within the powers conferred on it to make regulations and guidelines for the conduct of credible elections, taken steps to address some of the challenges identified in the field by revising election regulations, guidelines and manuals.”