The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, on Thursday said all security agencies are working assiduously towards ensuring the 2023 general elections are held as scheduled.
He said this while fielding questions from newsmen after the first meeting of National Security Council in 2022 presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
He expressed confidence that the security situation in the country will improve before the 2023 general elections and an atmosphere that would allow the electorate to exercise their franchise would be put in place.
The IGP noted security agencies were working to ensure that timetable on election duties were adhered to.
When asked whether the 2023 elections would hold, he said: “The issue of general election, we are very conscious of the fact that even before the general election, we have staggered election that is coming up in the next maybe eight weeks. The issue of Osun and Ekiti. The service chiefs and the heads of security agencies are members of the Interagency Consultative Forum on the elections.
“We are assessing the security situation and we are hopeful and we believe the narrative will change for the better in terms of securing the country, to enable us conduct the general election and even the staggered elections. Efforts are being made.
“I am aware INEC has expressed its fears and so forth. But we are also working towards changing the narrative within the quickest possible means to ensure that that national timetable on election duties are adhered to by our combined efforts to bring sanity to clear and make a level playing ground for all members of the public to exercise their franchise.”