Polls: APC Senators insist on summoning security chiefs

Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Bade (l); and other Service Chiefs

The All Progressives Congress, APC, Senators have insisted that the security chiefs should be summoned to appear before the Senate to give details on the security situation in the country as it concerns the forthcoming general elections.

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, had before shifting the February 14 Presidential and National Assembly elections said the service chiefs had told him that they would not guarantee security for the polls.

Jega also on Wednesday when he appeared before the Senate to explain the level of preparedness of his commission to the elections re-scheduled for March 28 said that INEC was ready for the polls but refused to confirm the sanctity of the election dates, saying it was the responsibility of the security chiefs to determine that.

Speaking to Vanguard in Abuja, Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, Senator Bokola Saraki, said INEC had given all the necessary assurances of it readiness to conduct the election on the scheduled date and that the security concerned as raised by the INEC boss was left for the security chiefs to also explain the security situation in the country, especially the states that had witnessed insurgency.

Saraki said that it was the responsibility of the leadership of the Senate to summon the security chiefs to appear at the plenary to also explain efforts made to ensure adequate security before, during and after the elections.

He said: “So next week, we wish the leadership will do the right thing. I think the only best person that should tell us the true situation is the service chiefs. The service chiefs will come before us to clear these issues; I think that is the best thing that has to happen.”

Source: Vanguard