The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned the political parties and their supporters, saying election is a contest and not a war.
INEC therefore urged politicians and candidates to refrain from acts of violence that may mar the elections or compromise the security of personnel, observers, the media and service providers.
INEC Chairman Mahmoud Yakubu, made this claim at the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, March 14.
The meeting reviewed preparations for the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections scheduled for March, 18, 2023.
“The State elections will involve 1,021 constituencies (28 Governorship and 993 State Assembly seats). There will also be more candidates involved and more collation centres to protect.
“Refrain from acts of violence that may mar the elections or compromise the security of our personnel, observers, the media and service providers,” he said.
Mahmoud said that INEC offices at the State level had given the Nigeria Police Force the delimitation information for the State Assembly and Governorship elections, including the locations of Polling Units and Collation Centers, in order to facilitate a coordinated deployment strategy with other security, law enforcement, and safety agencies.
