The Independent National Electoral Commission,
INEC, yesterday, rebuffed entreaties to postpone next month’s round of
elections, saying it was financially and mentally set for the polls.
The commission, nevertheless, affirmed that the
go-ahead for elections in the troubled Northeast would be given by security
agencies.
The assertions at a workshop for the training of
security agencies ahead of the general elections came as INEC said the conduct
of election in the troubled Northeast would be determined by the counsel of
security agencies.
Chairman, INEC Electoral Training Institute, Dr
Ishmaeal Igbani, who spoke on behalf of the commission in giving the readiness
of the commission for the polls said the commission was comfortable with the
fund it has at its disposal at the moment.
He said: “Anytime there is election in Nigeria,
there is always some form of tension. I have been around for a while and I
don’t think it is something new. I don’t think people should be afraid. But it
is also essential that we get ready just in case.”
Lagos pastor, Tunde Bakare had last Sunday called
for the postponement of the elections for the purpose of allowing tension among
political gladiators to ebb.
According to him, “it is also very important that
we have peaceful elections, it is also important that voters come out to vote
without fear. It is also important that the personnel who will work for us and
the environment itself is peaceful and for it to be peaceful, it is important
for the security agencies to be alert and ensure that they do what they are
supposed to do.”
He said a minimum of 50 personnel were being
trained, adding: “We call this cascade training. After this training of
trainers who will now go to their various security organisations to train
others and so forth which will go down the line in that way. More will be
trained in a more cheaper way.“
Speaking on the possibility of conducting elections
in the North-East, he said: “Our work in the commission is to conduct
elections; other people have been given that assignment. They are in a better
position to answer that. But what I can tell you is that once the coast is
clear we will hold elections.
On the alleged paucity of funds by the commission
to conduct elections, he said: “We are comfortable with what we have. I am just
hearing of that for the first time. Nobody will postpone election. Why will it
be postponed?”
Commenting on the prospect of internally displaced
persons in the Northeast voting, he said the INEC committee charged with
finding a solution to the issue had yet to submit its report.
Tags
Politics