Lawyer raises concern over safety of INEC officials

A Legal Practitioner, Mr Abdullahi Yusuf, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to prioritise safety of its officials before, during and after any election in the country.

Yusuf made the call in Ilorin on Friday in an interview with our correspondent.

He said that INEC officials should be given adequate protection from public attack during elections.

According to him, some INEC officials in the past have suffered assault and attack by angry voters and thugs.

“Government must ensure that INEC officials are not vulnerable to public attack. They need more security around them to deliver their job effectively and without fear or molestation.

“Some voting centres are violence spots. More security should therefore be deployed to such areas to secure the INEC officials and other voting materials, along with the ballot boxes.

“Most times, security men only care about the ballot papers and boxes and exposing INEC officials to public attack.

“Provide adequate security to protect them from angry voters and thugs,” Yusuf said.

The lawyer said that INEC officials would work under pressure if their safety could not be guaranteed.

He called on government at all levels to ensure safety of electoral officers for effective discharge of their duties.

Yusuf also called on electoral officers to be polite in dealing with the masses and to embrace transparency.