Security Remains Biggest Challenge Ahead Of Polls

The major challenge ahead of the 2023 general elections remains insecurity, the Senator, representing Borno South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Ali Ndume has said.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP in Abuja, Ndume said once the country is able to overcome the security challenges of insurgency, terrorism, separatist and other forms of criminality, things will be better.

“As it affects many local government areas in the North West now with banditry, the insurgency in the North East is calm but it is not over until it is over. But I have confidence in the Nigerian Army and other security agencies, that’s the issue we have with the 2023 general elections, “ Ndume said.

The senator, who chairs the Senate committee on Army, said that that the equipments and the platforms are coming in even though it is not enough, the commitment of Presidential Muhammadu Buhari is to provide the military with the necessary equipment.

“Once they are provided with the necessary equipment and supplies that they need to summon all these challenges, they can do it. Criminality in every society cannot be taken to zero level. But if it can be taken to a level where people can feel safe, go round any part of the country, come out anytime they like even if it is in the night or in the day without any fear or threat to their lives, they will go out and zone whoever they want.

“If this is addressed, the other challenges like the frustration Nigerians are facing interns of the economy, food, electricity and cost of essentials, once the country is secured and people go out to look for what to eat, if they can do that, if government can address the insecurity challenges and address the economy then Nigerians are forgiven people they can easily forget what happened in the past and look up to the future, “ Ndume said.

On the conduct of the election, the Senator said some communities don’t have the internet coverage for electronic voting and transmission, adding that telecommunication masts were destroyed while many people cannot visit their communities without escorts.

“There are some people in Maiduguri and some local government headquarters where elections can be held using the electronic voting and transmission.

“But the majority of the local governments in Borno State, especially outside the local government headquarters, have no electricity or internet connectivity. So, it is not possible to use BIVAS everywhere.

“But the electoral law is very clear. It says that INEC can use electronic voting where it is possible. The law did not insist. The law says INEC should use electronic voting and transmission where applicable.

“You don’t disenfranchise the voters just because you want to do electronic voting. And the law did not say that election should be done exclusively electronic. So, I don’t know why some people are trying to raise matters on that.

“Some people don’t know what we are facing in Borno. Election will hold, there is improvement in the electoral process. In 2015, election was not conducted in all the Local Governments in Borno State. It was conducted in Maiduguri in camps. But now all the camps are closed. People have returned to their local governments but they are just at the local governments headquarters. The only place where there is relative peace, is in Southern Borno that is my constituency.

“But in other places even in my local government, there are villages and Hamlets that constitute the local government, over 100, now there are only six villages one can visit. Let me count it. Gwoza as the headquarters, Pulka, Isge, Limankara, Ngoshe and Kirawa, and seven, recently, Gwarabe has been settled. These are the communities you can visit. We have 13 wards. Besides that, all the other villagers are residents in Gwoza town. And some are in Pulka. These are the big towns. We have 13 wards. We have 283 polling units. Out of these, how will you say that electronic voting can take place? These are the six locations voting will take place. Most of these villages have been abandoned for about 10 years and the building have collapse and the government is rebuilding these communities.

“On the proposed amendment on section 84 of the electoral act amendment bill, Ndume who said he don’t want to talk on it because he was not the sponsor of the bill, added that every senator have a right to propose an amendment.

“It will go through the process of first reading, second reading, public hearing and the passage. I don’t want to predict what will happen. Because if you look at it, it is neither here nor there. To say that every Nigerian has the right to aspire to every position, but the same constitution is saying that appointment into any elective office must reflect religion, ethnicity, region and geographical area,” Ndume added.