The Independent National Electoral Commission has called for proactive security preparations and deployments for the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election and by-elections scheduled to be held in 16 constituencies across 12 states.

INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, made the call in Abuja on Friday at the regular quarterly consultative meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Electoral Security (ICES).

Mr Yakubu said that over the next six months, INEC would engage in electoral activities that required security deployment.

According to Mr Yakubu, the activities include the November 8 Anambra State governorship election, resumption of the continuous voter registration (CVR) in the states, and the conduct of 16 by-elections in 12 states on August 16.

Mr Yakubu said that the security situation in Anambra State had been calm in recent times; security agencies should use the CVR to fine-tune their preparations to provide security for the forthcoming elections.

“The third activity is the resumption of the CVR nationwide, beginning with the online pre-registration of voters on August 18, followed by the in-person registration on August 25. The exercise will take place in our state and local government offices throughout the country. The full details will be made public soon, and we will share the same information with security agencies.

“As we plan for the by-elections, the Anambra State governorship election and the resumption of the CVR, I call on the security agencies to make adequate and proactive arrangements for the protection of personnel and assets to be deployed by the commission. They should also provide security for other stakeholders for these activities,” Mr Yakubu said.

In his remarks, the national security adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, warned political actors and their supporters in Anambra State, FCT and states where by-elections would hold to conduct themselves with decorum and respect for the democratic process.

Mr Ribadu, represented by Hassan Abdullahi, director of internal security at the NSA office, said that electoral violence and malpractices had no place in the country’s elections.

He reiterated the importance of collaboration between security agencies to ensure peaceful and credible elections in line with President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to credible elections.

“Our primary objective remains to safeguard the integrity of the upcoming elections.

“Therefore, we must ensure that eligible voters exercise their right to vote without fear or intimidation. In this regard, we will strengthen collaboration between security and law enforcement agencies to quickly address potential threats and challenges during the elections,” he said.

Mr Ribadu said that the security component of ICCES would, among other things, intensify intelligence efforts to monitor and pre-empt any threats to those elections and provide real-time intelligence to enable the implementation of proactive measures.

“This is especially in states that are infested with recalcitrant, subversive non-state actors who could be exploited by desperate politicians to undermine the elections. We will also maintain dialogue with the leadership of political parties and candidates to foster understanding and reduce tensions, as engagements with these stakeholders have proven to be effective in the past and should remain a priority,” he added.

The meeting was attended by representatives of security, intelligence, law enforcement and safety agencies. 

(NAN)