INEC chairman urged security agents to apply professionalism during election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has urged security agencies to apply professionalism in their conduct during elections in a manner that voters, observers and the media will not feel intimidated during the upcoming elections in 2019.

INEC chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu said As with all elections, security is going to be a major issue in the 2019 General Election therefore Security agencies have a responsibility to secure the environment for elections. “The conduct of some security personnel has become a major issue of discussion. We are deeply concerned. Consequently, it is imperative to review the template for the 2019 General Election in order to reassure Nigerians and the international community of our commitment to credible elections and to protect the sanctity of the electoral process. INEC will engage with the security agencies, particularly the police, in defining new parameters for the deployment of security agencies in the electoral process”.

He made this statement during the police stakeholders’ security submit in Abuja.

Mahmood also said INEC will continue to work with the security agencies for the arrest and prosecution of violators of the electoral act. “Working together with the police, we have successfully prosecuted 42 electoral offenders following violent disruption of the Minjibir State Constituency bye-election in Kano in 2016”.

He also explained that mobilization of eligible citizens to register as voters during the last Continuous Voter Registration Exercise (CVR), resulted in the registration of 14.5 million citizens as fresh voters.

He also called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, socio-cultural associations, civil society organisations and the media to similarly mobilise the new registrants to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). “I am glad to report that all PVCs for fresh registrants have been printed and delivered to the States and FCT for collection . The Commission plans to devolve the collection to at least the Ward level soon. We will keep citizens informed of the process. However, the 1,178,793 requests for replacement of damaged, defaced or lost PVCs as well as the 769,917 requests for intra and inter-State transfers are being processed. The PVCs will be delivered to the States by the end of this week”.