2023: Why I Have Very Serious Doubts About Polls Becoming A Reality – Ex-presidential Candidate

Olu Falae, a presidential candidate in 1999, has said the 2023 elections is unlikely to hold due to the “general state of war” in Nigeria and violence against staff and facilities of the Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC), Newsbreak reports.

Falae said this during a recent interview with Punch.

“I have very serious doubts, great doubt about 2023 becoming a reality. Why? Apart from the general state of war and violence, INEC (Independence National Electoral Commission) made it known about two weeks ago that hundreds of its workers have been killed. Some of its offices, equipment, and vehicles were destroyed and burnt. Suppose a clear year before the election that is already happening to INEC and its personnel. What is going to happen between now and Election Day?

“I doubt that any sensible election can occur in 2023 because, as I said earlier, the state of violence has been progressing to the final stage of anarchy. So if that threat continues, I’m afraid elections will not be feasible in 2023, and if that were to happen, what would happen? You cannot hold elections, and the term of office of the present legislators and executive members, their terms of office expire at the federal and state levels. We cannot elect their replacements because of anarchy, confusion, and chaos; Nigeria is in limbo. It will mean that the ‘Lugardian evil’ experiment has come to an end,” Falae said.