2023: National Security Council says ‘no going back on elections’

Rising from its meeting at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, in Abuja, Wednesday, the National Security Council (NSC), comprising Service Chiefs of the Nigerian military, as well as, the para-military agencies of the Nigeria Police, has stated that there is no going back on the forthcoming 2023 General elections, slated for February 25 and March 11.

President Muhammadu Buhari had summoned the meeting of the Council to review preparations of the security agencies for the general election.

Briefing State House correspondents after the meeting, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami SAN, said the gathering was called on the back of the government’s ‘desire to further consolidate and appraise the comprehensive and general preparation of the system relating to the conduct of the election.’

Malami said that Service Chiefs made submissions at the meeting, indicating their readiness to provide security at the election.

“The summary and conclusion of all submissions was to the effect that the system is wholeheartedly ready for the conduct of the election and arising from there,  the position of the government, the position of the president is to the effect that election is holding on the 25th day of February 2023.

“The president and the National Security Council are happy with the preparations on the ground and wholehearted arrangements are put in place in that direction.

“So, we have been mandated to brief you accordingly. The summary of it, the conclusion of it, the resolution of the Council is to the effect that elections are holding and there is no going back about it.”

Explaining that National Security Council meeting was the third in the series of meetings held to review preparations for the election, Malami recalled that the President had also summoned a meeting of the National Council of State and that of the Federal Executive Council.

He said the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu briefed the meetings on what the commission had done to prepare for the elections.

“Before the National Security Council meeting of today, the Federal Executive Council meeting had taken place at which meeting the president called the National Chairman of INEC to brief the Council relating to the preparations of the INEC over the election.

“The chairman of INEC came around made comprehensive submissions establishing their preparedness; establishing the fact that they are ready for the conduct of the election.”

On his part, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, who was also at the briefing, said the Nigerian Police would deploy its men to cover all polling units across the country.

“We are going to provide security. We expect that we will be cover every polling station in this country with our men.

“We also expect to provide a motorized patrol to ensure that no adversary comes to disrupt the process.”  

The IGP disclosed that he briefed the Security Council meeting, informing it that the force has “been able to crime map the country in terms of threat analysis, in terms of what we expect, what we need to do during, before and after the elections.

“The military has also pledged their commitment to support the process by providing the needed support at their own level which requires different kinds of assistance.

“They may not be actually policing the election but they are to ensure that no adversary or whatever means comes out to disrupt the process.”

According to Alkali Baba, the Chief of Air Staff expressed his commitment to assist the INEC in the deployment of electoral materials while the Chief of Naval Staff assured that the navy would support the commission in riverine areas.