The Federal Government on Tuesday played down the fear raised by the Independent National Electoral Commission on the possibility of conducting the 2023 general elections following the escalating report of killings in some part of the country.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed said the 2023 elections will be held as planned.
Mohammed said this in Abuja at the 17th edition of President Muhammadu Buhari scorecard series from 2015-2023.
INEC had raised fear on Monday, noting that over 41 attacks had been carried out against its offices across 14 states since the 2019 general election, with the South-East recorded 13 attacks.
Besides the attacks on its offices, INEC was also concerned about the impact of the incessant killings allegedly perpetrated by the Eastern Security Network, the militant arm of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra and banditry in the North-West.
The INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, who spoke at the validation of election security training resources in Abuja noted that the forthcoming election faces serious threat of cancellation should the insecurity across the country fail to improve.
Yakubu, represented by the Chairman, Board of Electoral Institute, Abdullahi Zuru, explained that “if the insecurity is not monitored and dealt with decisively, it could ultimately culminate in the cancellation and/or postponement of elections in sufficient constituencies to hinder declaration of election results and precipitate constitutional crisis.
But reacting to the fears, the Minister said, “The position of the Federal Government remains that the 2023 elections will be held as planned. Nothing has happened to change that position. We are aware that INEC is working with the security agencies to ensure that the elections are successfully held across the country.
“The security agencies have also continued to assure Nigerians that they are working tirelessly to ensure that the elections are held in a peaceful atmosphere. Therefore, there is no cause for alarm.”
