The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), says it would require 530,538 security officers for the peaceful conduct of the 2023 elections.
INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, who stated this on Tuesday during a briefing at the Chatham House in London, said that the electoral body also required 707,384 electoral officials for the exercise.
According to him, “For the 2023 general elections, the Commission requires at least 707,384 presiding and assistant presiding officers, about 17,685 supervisory presiding officers, 9,620 collation/returning officers as well as 530,538 polling unit security officials, making a total of 1,265,227”.
INEC had slated February 25, for the presidential and national assembly elections, while governorship and state assembly elections were fixed for March 11. The electoral body also stated that 18 political parties have fielded candidates for the presidential poll.
Speaking further, Prof. Yakubu said that the electoral body was adequately preparing its officials for their roles as polling officials and supervisors for the exercise.
He said that the security challenges in the country posed a great threat to achieving credible elections. According to him, violence has also made election deployment difficult especially where some of the attacks were directed at the electoral process and its offices.
Despite this, the INEC chairman further stressed that the electoral body was going ahead with the 2023 general elections as earlier scheduled.
