David Lawani, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has renewed calls on political parties to consider Saturday’s governorship and states houses of assembly election as a contest and not a do-or-die affair.

Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, stated this yesterday at an Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting on Tuesday in Abuja.

Yakubu urged political leaders to refrain from acts that may mar the election or compromise the security of INEC personnel, observers, and other stakeholders.

He, however, commended the security agencies for the professionalism of personnel and the peaceful conduct of the February 25 elections.

*28 governorship slots, 993 state assembly seats to be contested

Yakubu said, “The governorship and state assembly elections this weekend involve more constituencies than the national elections held about three weeks ago. Unlike the last elections involving 470 constituencies (One presidential, 109 senatorial districts, and 360 House of Representatives seats), the state elections will involve 1,021 constituencies (28 governorship and 993 state assembly seats).

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“There will also be more candidates involved and more collation centres to protect. There are also local elections involving keen contests. It is therefore important for parties and candidates to speak to their agents and supporters to see the elections as a contest and not war.

“They should refrain from acts of violence that may mar the elections or compromise the security of our personnel, observers, and the media and service providers,” he noted.

He narrated that INEC State offices have made available to the Nigeria Police Force, being the lead agency in election security, the delimitation details for both the Governorship and State Assembly elections, including locations of Polling Units and Collation Centres.

Yakubu added that the Commission expects a coordinated deployment plan in synergy with other security, intelligence, law enforcement, and safety agencies.

The INEC Chairman disclosed that the Commission is encouraged by the directive to State Commands by the Inspector General of Police to handle all cases of electoral offenses expeditiously, noting that the Commission looks forward to receiving the case files, and will immediately set up a legal team to handle such cases in earnest.

Also speaking, the National Security Adviser (NSA) Babagana Monguno, while disclosing that he has been in touch with the Chief of Defence Staff, and the Inspector General of Police, confirmed that they do not envisage anything that is going to be terrible or apocalyptic in terms of the forthcoming election.

He, however, pointed out that it does not mean that the security agencies should do away with their state of readiness.

Monguno stated that the security agencies will continue to work around the clock, adding that all the crisis centres, the community institutions, and his office are always open, ready, and available to give support to INEC

He said, “We must comply with the rules, we must also allow everyone to exercise their fundamental rights as citizens of this country. What we do not want to happen is for anybody to pre-empt and take the law into his or her own hands. I want to be very clear on this.

“We’re going to give the maximum support to all entities involved in this process and we are also calling on the political bigwigs, the gladiators, to call their lieutenants to order. Anybody itching to undermine this process should please think again. It is not in his interest, it is not in the interest of the nation as well.”

While commending the efforts of the various political parties and the individuals that participated in the last election, especially those who called for peace and calm, he urged them, especially at the state level to demonstrate the same level of maturity and discipline by calling their supporters to conduct themselves in a manner that is congruent with the expectations of the larger Nigerian society.

The governorship elections will hold in 28 States of the Federation. Governorship elections in eight States (Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Ondo, and Osun states) are held off-cycle and, therefore, not conducted during the general elections.