The National Security Council (NSC) assured Wednesday that the presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on Saturday, February 25, 2023 as scheduled.

Briefing State House Correspondents after the maiden meeting of the NSC this year, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Abubakar Malami, said the council was briefed by the Chief of Defence Staff, the three service chiefs, Inspector-General of Police and heads of other security agencies about  their readiness to provide the necessary security for the conduct of the elections.

“At the National Security Council meeting, briefings were made by security agencies generally and service chiefs. National Security Adviser made submission; Chief of Defense Staff made one; Chief of Army Staff made submission; Chief of Naval Staff made submission, Chief of Air Staff did; Inspector-General of Police, who incidentally is equally addressing you, made submission; Director-General, State Security Service did; and indeed DG NIA and CDI all made submissions.

“The summary and conclusion of all submissions was to the effect that the system is wholeheartedly ready for the conduct of the election and arising there from, the position of the government, the position of the President is to the effect that the election is holding of the 25th day of February, 2023 and Mr. President and the National Security Council are happy with the preparations on the ground and wholehearted arrangements are put in place in that direction.

“So we have been mandated, arising from the conclusions of the Security Council meetings to now brief you accordingly, but the summary of it, the conclusion of it, the resolution of the Council, is to the effect that the elections are holding and there is no going back about it,” he said.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed that he engaged in a telephone conversation with the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Professor Mahmoud Yakubu ahead of the presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday.

According to him, the meeting which was at the instance of the Chairman of INEC, was all part of efforts to ensure that the elections hold successfully.

“I’m being grounded by INEC. You know next Saturday is a great day for us and I take instructions from INEC so that I make sure there’ll be no excuses for the successful election,” he said.