The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has stated that conducting elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states is often challenging due to the high levels of insecurity plaguing these states, News About Nigeria reports.
The INEC chairman further observed that the upcoming November 11 governorship elections in these states will not be an easy task because of their geographical locations.
Yakubu, who made these remarks during a meeting of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, said, “The three states of Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi are not the easiest states in Nigeria in which to conduct elections. The difficult geographical terrain and prevailing insecurity are compounded by negative mobilization by political actors, especially since the commencement of the campaign in public on July 14, 2023.”
He, therefore, advised politicians to restrain their candidates and supporters from inciting violence or engaging in any other undemocratic activities that could disrupt the electoral process.
He further urged security agencies to take swift action against perpetrators of electoral violence in order to ensure peaceful conduct of elections in these states. According to him, it is the primary responsibility of security agencies to ensure the safety of both voters and INEC officials during the elections.
Yakubu also emphasized that security personnel must remain neutral during elections to enable them to carry out their duties without bias and to hold offenders and perpetrators of election violence accountable.
