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The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Lagos says President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime must deal decisively with anything that may threaten the peaceful conduct of the 2023 general election.
IPAC chairman in Lagos, Olusegun Mobolaji, said this in an interview on Wednesday.
Mr Mobolaji was reacting to the report by the Independent National Electoral Commission that the widespread insecurity across the country, if not decisively dealt with, might ultimately culminate in the cancellation and or postponement of elections in sufficient constituencies.
INEC national commissioner and chairman of the board of the electoral institute, Abdullahi Zuru, expressed the concerns at a two-day workshop on election security training resources in Abuja.
The commission noted that such cancellation or postponement would hinder the declaration of election results and might lead to a constitutional crisis.
However, in a swift reaction on Tuesday, the Buhari regime assured that the general election would hold as scheduled despite security threats.
Information minister Lai Mohammed gave the assurance at the 17th edition of Mr Buhari’s scorecard series from 2015 to 2023 in Abuja.
Reacting, Mr Mobolaji said, “As much as we really need a change of government for a better and greater Nigeria, at the same time, we should be mindful of the security of the people in the nation. The people that want to go and vote are the same people that want to enjoy the governance and they need to stay alive to enjoy this.”
The IPAC Lagos chair added, “If their lives are now at risk, and conducting elections can now result in serious brutality, fatality and loss of lives and property, then, it will be advisable to hold on with the elections and ensure adequate security is put in place.”
He called for clamping down on “all security threats financially, materially, militarily and human capacity,” noting that it would be “a big shame if we cannot conduct the elections because of insecurity. It is bad that we are in a situation where an election is at risk.”
(NAN)
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