INEC Chairman, Prof. Yakubu
INEC insists on conduct of 2023 polls, amid tension over Naira scarcity
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured that the February 25 Presidential and March 11 state elections across the country has insisted on conducting 2023 polls amid the general tension and litigation surrounding the Federal Government and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) decision to invalidate the old Naira notes, coupled with the attendant violent protests rocking parts of the country over the development.
INEC made the clarification following calls for the political exercise to be postponed over insecurity in parts of the country.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who confirmed this while visiting the commission’s Training Centres for National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) adhoc staff in Abuja, weekend, allayed those fears, saying the commission is working closely with the CBN and security agencies to ensure glitches are resolved.
“The Central Bank has assured us that we will not suffer any encumbrances in that regard, no there are no issues with respect to that.
“On what is happening around the country – the protests – is a security matter and security issues have assured and reassured us that they will secure the environment for elections to hold peacefully nationwide. So we have no issues in that respect,” Yakubu said.
The INEC Chairman who tasked the trainee Corps members to be loyal to Nigeria, Nigerians and not political parties, also told them that on no account should they leave the BVAS in the custody of another.
He warned that the corps members are going to be tracked to ensure accountability.
After visiting the training centres, Yakubu, INEC officials and journalists proceeded to the International Conference Centre (ICC) for inspection.
Yakubu gave his assurance INEC will perform basically three activities in this ICC which has been serving as the National Collation Centre for the collation, announcement of winners and presentations of the Certificate of Returns (CoR) to the President and Vice President-elect, the senators and House of Representatives members-elect.
