Nigeria’s election body Chief Mahmood Yakubu on Tuesday said general election will be held on February 25 as previously scheduled despite concerns about a postponement because of insecurity in parts of the country, reported The BBC.
Last week, Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had warned that the upcoming general election could be postponed or even canceled if no immediate steps are taken to tackle insecurity in the country.
Addressing an audience at Chatham House, London, Tuesday afternoon, Yakubu warned about the increasing attacks on INEC’s facilities in several cities but reassured the people that the commission would still go ahead with the elections as scheduled.
The electoral chairman said the commission would need to continue to rebuild the burnt facilities and replace materials damaged in the attacks.
He, however, assured that Nigeria’s electoral body along with security agencies had increased security presence in some of the most attack-prone locations.
He noted that the last attack on the commission’s facilities took place last week on Sunday but the commission was able to respond quickly with the help of the military, thereby minimising the extent of damage done to that attacked facility. The electoral body has recorded 50 attacks on its offices between 2019 and 2022 as a result of election-related violence.
Yakubu said in spite of the attacks, the electoral authorities will rebuild facilities and replace damaged and lost items, the elections will be held.
Nigerians are set to elect a new president at the end of February, then two weeks later they will vote to elect governors and local councils.
These elections come as the country is experiencing a spate mass kidnappings, banditry, religious and ethnic tensions as well as violent agitations for independence in several parts of the country.
According to Nigeria’s electoral body, 93.4 million people have registered to vote in the elections, with more than 74 million between the ages of 18 and 49.
