2023: Falae Laments ahead of Poll
Olu Falae, a former secretary to the Government of the Federation and presidential contender, has lamented the country’s growing insecurity and expressed fear that the results of the 2023 election might not be reliable and acceptable.
Falae, who spoke with newsmen in Akure, noted that the conduct and outcome of the elections may be affected by the nation’s growing waves of insecurity and emphasised that the results may not be credible.
“I pray that terrorists will allow the election to take place. Some few days ago, they burnt down the INEC office somewhere in the South-East. They have been doing that for a long time, so we hope the election will be possible.
“If elections take place at all, I hope the outcome will be acceptable and credible because if during voting, shootings take place, the outcome may not be credible.
“So, all in all, I am hoping that we will be able to have elections that will be credible, and I am praying that the Lord Almighty will intervene and pick a government that can lead Nigeria out of the crisis in which we are. Nigeria is tottering precariously on the edge of the precipice.”
Speaking on the need for state police, Falae said: “In my view, security is a local matter, and what I mean by that is that every community should mobilise its people for its security.
“Every village, every hamlet should mobilise its people to defend itself. The police will do their work, and the DSS will also do what they can do, but every community must have its security.
“Security does not necessarily mean shooting, a critical part of security is prevention, information, monitoring and intelligence. Before terrorists can strike in a community, they must have been mobilised and hanging around for some time.
“So, your people must be vigilant and continuously monitor the environment, and if they notice anything strange they go after it and of course if they attack, I have the right to self-defence because self-preservation is the first order of creation but the most part is surveillance, intelligence, monitoring the environment, and keeping strange elements out of the area. That is the core of intelligence.”
