ADVERTISEMENT
The Sun Nigeria
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun
No Result
View All Result
The Sun Nigeria
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Home Editorial

INEC, security agencies and 2019 election

10th December 2018
in Editorial
0
INEC, security agencies and 2019 election

Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Gusau, Zamfara, Dec. 5, 2018

15
SHARES
703
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Despite President Muhammadu Buhari’s recent promise that his administration will ensure the conduct of a free, fair and credible election in 2019, many Nigerians believe that the roles of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the police and other security agencies involved in election matters are critical to making the exercise credible.

READ ALSO: I’ll allow credible elections in 2019, says Buhari

The shoddy conduct of the recent gubernatorial elections in Ekiti and Osun states, which witnessed massive vote buying and other infractions, can be a source of worry to some Nigerians ahead of the 2019 poll.

To avoid a repeat of what happened in Ekiti and Osun, INEC and the security agencies must surely improve in the conduct of the 2019 election. Therefore, for the forthcoming poll to be credible and acceptable to all Nigerians and the international community, the Chairman of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the Inspector-General of Police, (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, and other security chiefs must maintain a position of absolute political neutrality during the exercise.

And they must be seen by the public to have remained apolitical before, during and after the poll. For sake of emphasis, INEC officials and security agents on election duties must not align, whatsoever, with any political party. And for the electoral umpire to be seen as being neutral, it must indeed be fair to all the political parties and their candidates. It must also play the role of a disinterested party in the election. Similarly, the security agents must maintain peace during the exercise and also ensure the safety of the candidates, their supporters and the electorate.

It is, therefore, the duty of the security agents to ensure that there is a peaceful atmosphere for the people to cast their votes. No security officer should be seen to align with any political group. Any security officer or INEC official caught being partisan during the exercise must be arrested, prosecuted and be seriously dealt with according to the laws of the land. Therefore, the success or otherwise of next year’s election will show how far we have imbibed the democratic culture since 1999 when this political dispensation started.

The outcome of any election largely depends on the role of the electoral umpire, the security agencies and to some extent the roles of the electorate. There is the need for INEC to be fair to all the parties in the conduct of the election. Anything outside this will cast doubt on the integrity of the poll. Perhaps, it is this fear that the INEC boss and the security chiefs must allay before the commencement of the poll. Nigerians should be assured that the election will not be rigged.

We advise that the electoral umpire, the police and other security agencies must not play into the hands of some politicians and thereby compromise the integrity of the election. All eyes are, therefore, on INEC, the police and other security agencies to see how they will conduct the poll. INEC should resist any pressure or meddlesomeness from any quarters in the conduct of the election. It must insist in ensuring that the exercise is credible. This is the only way the outcome will be acceptable to all the parties, Nigerians and the international community. We say this bearing in mind that a flawed poll will send wrong signals to the outside world about our democracy.

A muddled exercise will be disastrous to our nascent democracy and the future of the nation. The sanctity of the ballots must be assured. The votes of the electorate must be made to count. The choice of the electorate must be respected. The beauty of democracy is that it allows the people the freedom to choose their leaders. Nothing should vitiate this constitutional duty. Therefore, the police and other security agencies must, as a matter of national importance, be professional in their roles during the poll.

We enjoin all politicians and their supporters to refrain from acts capable of marring the poll. They should shun thuggery, ballot snatching and electoral violence. Let all stakeholders put the nation first and ensure that the 2019 election is credible.

READ ALSO: Groups take anti election violence campaign to Ebonyi traders, artisans
Tags: 2019 Electionsconstitutionalitycredible electionselection stakeholderselection violenceINECinspector general of policeinternational communitysecurity agencies
David

David

Sun News Online team

Related Posts

Anambra: INEC to display register of new voters tomorrow
Editorial

INEC and credible polls in 2023

7th July 2022
Imo threatens to sack heads of agencies over e-payment requirements non-compliance
Editorial

Amnesty to bandits in Imo

6th July 2022
Extension of continuous voters’ registration
Editorial

Extension of continuous voters’ registration

5th July 2022
Next Post
Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace wants N5.5b Moses

AKIDE

Falcons’ World Cup group’s tough -Akide 

WBC

WBC orders Wilder, Tyson Fury rematch 

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Highlights

FG declares Monday July 12, Tuesday July 13, 2022 as public holidays

FIRS boss says collaboration among regulatory bodies critical in tax development

CBN rewards farmers in Delta for prompt repayment of loans

NYSC sanctions 18 youth corps members in Ekiti

Kidney saga: Ekweremadu wins first round

JUST IN: Peter Obi in Borno

Trending

Heat, drought and wildfires: Torrid spell torments Portugal
World News

Heat, drought and wildfires: Torrid spell torments Portugal

7th July 2022
0

(AP) Portugal is bracing for a heat wave, with temperatures in some areas forecast to climb as...

Borno gets first indigenous Catholic bishop

Borno gets first indigenous Catholic bishop

7th July 2022
Regional stakeholders brainstorm on countering radicalism in Sahel region

Regional stakeholders brainstorm on countering radicalism in Sahel region

7th July 2022
FG tasks fire officers on effective service delivery

FG declares Monday July 12, Tuesday July 13, 2022 as public holidays

7th July 2022
FIRS boss says collaboration among regulatory bodies critical in tax development

FIRS boss says collaboration among regulatory bodies critical in tax development

7th July 2022
ADVERTISEMENT

Follow us on social media:

Latest News

  • Heat, drought and wildfires: Torrid spell torments Portugal
  • Borno gets first indigenous Catholic bishop
  • Regional stakeholders brainstorm on countering radicalism in Sahel region
  • FG declares Monday July 12, Tuesday July 13, 2022 as public holidays
  • FIRS boss says collaboration among regulatory bodies critical in tax development
  • CBN rewards farmers in Delta for prompt repayment of loans
  • NYSC sanctions 18 youth corps members in Ekiti
  • Kidney saga: Ekweremadu wins first round
  • JUST IN: Peter Obi in Borno
  • BREAKING: Catholic priest kidnapped in Benue
  • Court remands man for allegedly defiling 13-year-old girl
  • Nearly half of Australians live with chronic health conditions – Report
  • Scavenger bags 9 months imprisonment for intimidation, theft
  • NBC, Iredia disagree over bill to establish SNB
  • NYSC extends service-year of 13 Corps members in Nasarawa
  • Kebbi NBA elects new leaders, decries non-patronage of private lawyers in state
  • Beauty Queen, Tracy sensitises FCT students on menstrual hygiene, management
  • Abayomi, others push for legislation to regulate Assisted Reproductive Technology practice in Nigeria
  • Court fixes Aug 31 for sentencing of woman accused of attacking neighbour with hot water
  • NPA boss congratulates new ministers of transportation

Categories

  • Abuja Metro
  • Anambra Watch
  • Arts
  • Broken Tongues
  • Business
  • Business Week
  • Cartoons
  • Citizen Joe
  • Columns
  • Cover
  • Culture
  • Duro Onabule
  • Editorial
  • Education Review
  • Effect
  • Elections
  • Entertainment
  • Events
  • Features
  • Femi Adesina
  • Food & Drinks
  • Frank Talk
  • Funke Egbemode
  • Gallery
  • Global Square by Kenneth Okonkwo
  • Health
  • Insights
  • Kalu Leadership Series
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Kunle Solaja
  • Letters
  • Lifeline
  • Lifestyle
  • Literary Review
  • Marketing Matters
  • Muiz Banire
  • National
  • News
  • Offside Musings
  • Opinion
  • oriental news
  • Politics
  • Press Release
  • PressClips
  • Public Sphere
  • Ralph Egbu
  • Shola Oshunkeye
  • Sideview
  • South-west Magazine
  • Sponsored Post
  • Sporting Sun
  • Sports
  • Sun Girl
  • Tea Time
  • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
  • The Sun Awards Live
  • The Sun TV
  • Thoughts & Talks
  • Time Out
  • Today's cover
  • Tola Adeniyi
  • Travel
  • Travel & Tourism
  • Trending
  • TSWeekend
  • Turf Game
  • Uncategorized
  • Updates
  • Views from Abroad
  • Voices
  • World
  • World News
  • About Us
  • Paper Ad Rate
  • Online Ad Rate
  • The Team
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.

No Result
View All Result
  • National
  • Columns
    • Broken Tongues
    • Capital Matters
    • Diabetes Corner
    • Duro Onabule
    • Femi Adesina
    • Frank Talk
    • Funke Egbemode
    • Insights
    • Kalu Leadership Series
    • Kunle Solaja
    • Offside Musings
    • PressClips
    • Public Sphere
    • Ralph Egbu
    • Shola Oshunkeye
    • Sideview
    • The Flipside – Eric Osagie
    • Tola Adeniyi
  • Business
  • Politics
  • Entertainment
  • The Sun TV
  • Sporting Sun

© 2019 The Sun Nigeria - Managed by Netsera.

Posting....