The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called for a review of the security architecture for the conduct of elections in the country.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Waziri, at an Inter-agency Consultative Committee meeting on Election Security (ICCES) on Friday, said this is necessary in view of the novel COVID-19 pandemic.
Professor Yakubu called on the security agencies to act proactively, adding that an early engagement with political parties and aspirants was necessary in order to create the atmosphere for peaceful primaries and consequently peaceful elections.
“As you are aware, the conduct of primaries by political parties tends to be very acrimonious. The acrimony is carried forward into the electioneering campaigns and Election Day activities. Already, there are warning signals. We should, as a matter of urgency, come up with a policy and code of conduct for security personnel in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“To do so effectively, there is need to review the security architecture in the light of the global pandemic and come up with clear guidelines as well as supplementary code of conduct for security personnel on election duty,” Professor Yakubu stated.
He disclosed that 15 out 18 political parties have invited INEC to monitor their primaries for the September 19 governorship election in Edo State.
Professor Yakubu noted than an ad hoc committee was set up by ICCES after the recent governorship elections to advise it security arrangements for future elections, and said the report would be discussed at the meeting.
He assured that the commission would continue to deepen the use of technology in the management of the electoral process.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno, called on security agencies to ensure that Edo and Ondo governorship elections as well as by-elections were conducted without rancour.
Monguno, who was represented by Galadima Yusuf, expressed optimism that the pandemic would soon be over and there would be peaceful conduct of election.