Electoral Violence: INEC Blames Security Agencies For Their Failure To Act Decisively

The Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC), has blamed security agencies for their failure to act decisively when there is electoral violence in the country.

Many people lost their lives and hundreds of properties destroyed by thugs during the presidential/National Assembly governorship/House of Assembly polls on February 23 and March 9, 2019 respectively.

At least a dozen people also lost their lives during the November 16, 2019 governorship elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states.

INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, who expressed his dissatisfaction with the security arrangements for elections in the country, demanded a new approach to treating poll issues.

Yakubu, who spoke during the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security meeting in Abuja on Friday, said the security agencies often placed more emphasis on the number of officers to be deployed, focusing less on strategies.

According to him, it is the responsibility of the security agencies to secure the environment for a successful conduct of elections.

The INEC chief said: “The commission is concerned that security deployment in some of the most recent elections left much to be desired.

“There is more emphasis on the number of security personnel to be deployed, but less consideration on strategic deployment to protect the process, leaving the voters, election officials, party agents, observers, the media and even unarmed security personnel at polling units vulnerable to attacks by thugs and hoodlums.

“Furthermore, there is emphasis on the number of security personnel but less on synergy, coordination and collaboration among the various security agencies in line with the purpose for which ICCES was established in the first instance.”

He added: “It is the failure to act decisively and collaboratively that encourages thuggery and serves as an incentive for bad behaviour.”