600 communities have been highlighted as locations with high insecurity, just 28 days to the general elections, stakeholders have revealed.

The stakeholders described the security challenges facing the country as serious, raising the alarm that it might have implications on the integrity of the election before it happens.

They, however, expressed optimism that with less than one month to the election, things would have taken shape.

The stakeholders made this known in Abuja at an event organised by “I Am Change (IAC)” with the theme, ‘2023 Election: Citizens’ Pre-Election Awareness and the Role of Stakeholders in Post-Election Stability’.

Speaking during a panel discussion, the founder of Bulwark Intelligence and Information Services company and a United States Air Force veteran, Ms. Tanwa Ashiru, expressed worry about the development of the military on election day.

She stated: “For example, we know there are over 600 different communities that have been highlighted as locations with high insecurity where they’re not even sure if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is going to be able to set up in those areas.

“Another thing that I also tend to be very worried about is how we always have to deploy law enforcement, military people. And I tell people this all the time, that anytime military, law enforcement show up in a location, fatalities automatically get higher. Why? They’re showing up with guns, they are showing up with bullets, so chances of someone getting killed is significantly higher when they are there. But at the same time, we know that they have to be there to prevent those from planning to disrupt the situation.

“So we are now entering the election with all of these dynamics. Now, what we are trying to say is that there are some locations where elections might not be perfect, but there are some others that we know, at least, the votes will count,” Ashiru added.

The intelligence expert also expressed worry about the surprises that might show up suddenly when people don’t get the results that they’re hoping for.

In his submission, Mohammed Yunusa said if there is a massive security situation across the country, it might affect the issue of having at least 25 per cent in all the states of the federal as stipulated by the Electoral Act.

According to him, “If you have this massive security situation scattered around the country, it might affect the issue of having at least 25 per cent in all the states. I don’t think that INEC is unaware of this and am sure they would have put in place some of the measures administratively to ensure that people are able to vote.”

Yunusa recalled that during the 2019 elections, polling units were set up at the Internal Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp.

On his part, former governor of Cross Rivers, Donald Duke, said it was a good thing that INEC was embracing electronic voting

He urged the electoral body to ensure that it did everything possible to thwart the efforts of some desperate politicians willing to sabotage the electoral process

Duke stated: “It is good INEC is embracing electronic voting. You know, politicians, I’m one of them, we check the law and we see how we can manipulate the system

“It is important that the operators of the system – INEC, should also play devil’s advocate for what they are doing. How do we stand politicians who are ready to go to any extent to manipulate and compromise elections.”

Also, the former Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazzau, said President Muhammadu Buhari had said several times that all he wanted was to ensure that there was a free and fair election

He noted that there cannot be free and fair elections if there was no adequate security.

Dambazzau stated: “One month to the elections, things would have taken shape in terms of security and I want to emphasise that this election is not only the same with 1999, but I believe that this is an election that is so important because it would serve as a bridge between transition period towards consolidation of democracy in Nigeria.”

The former Minister of Interior stressed that the issue of security during elections was not new.

He said some years back, the focus was on the North-east, which appears to be calm now, adding that the focus now is South-east and part of North-west where banditry and kidnapping are thriving.

Dambazzau expressed optimism that the security agencies must have done their homework very well in order to tackle the security threats

His words: “Certainly, there are challenges security-wise, but those are challenges that are surmountable and every election has its own challenges security-wise. Not just from 1999, but even from the first republic and I’m sure people will use their experience and knowledge to know how to deal with this.

“The other aspect of this is that some of these security issues are aggression of politicians themselves, because where they go for politics of ethnicity, politics of religion, politics of regionalism; those kinds of politics are divisive, and they tend to create tension among the electorate. So I think the politicians should be able to look at that in the best interest of the country.”

Also speaking, the Executive Director of AIC, Hafsatu Shinkafin, said it was the tradition of the organisation to have programmes on election years, saying similar events were organised between 2015 and 2019.

She stressed that the key focus of the organisation was on democratic and civic duties, as well as leadership skills acquisition.

On INEC preparations so far, Shinkafin noted that there are few gaps here or there, but added that in general, INEC has improved upon every cycle.

(THISDAY: Text, excluding headline)

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