The National Security Adviser, NSA, Babagana Monguno, has said the Federal Government will not allow any group or persons to impede smooth conduct of elections in the country.
Mr Monguno stated this on Thursday at the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, meeting, organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Abuja.
With the prevalence of security threats occasioned by different dissident separatist groups in the Southern region of the country, who are bent on scuttling efforts of government in achieving national cohesion and undermining the democratic processes in the country.
He said that in exercise of the mandate of the office of the NSA, it would ensure robust deployments before, during and after the poll.
Mr Monguno commended all ICCES members, especially INEC, for the successful conduct of recent by-election in constituencies across the country.
“This is in addition to the ongoing reforms to reposition the electoral process to deepen the nation’s democracy.
We hope to consolidate same in subsequent poll,” Mr Monguno said.
The INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, said the main focus of the meeting was the Nov. 6 Anambra governorship election.
Mr Yakubu who expressed joy that attacks on INEC facilities had subsided since June, said that the commission was working on replacing all lost items during attacks on office facilities in Anambra.
“As you are aware, our office in Awka was attacked resulting in extensive damage to the building and the destruction of critical facilities for the election including ballot boxes, voting cubicles, vehicles, power generators and several non-sensitive materials for the election.
“Similarly, we are making efforts to rebuild the physical facilities which will be completed before the election,” Mr Yakubu said.
He stated that for voter accreditation during the Anambra election, INEC plans to introduce a new technology called the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS.
According to him, the BVAS has the capability for both fingerprint and facial biometric accreditation.
He said also that INEC had concluded arrangements to pilot the new device in the Isoko South I State constituency by-election in Delta on Saturday.
INEC looks forward for the more support to ensure that it delivers another credible election for the Isoko South I State Constituency in Delta on Saturday.
NAN
