Ribadu reads Riot Act against electoral violence, infractions
By Babatunde Opalana
Tough times are ahead of perpetrators of electoral violence and infractions in the country as the National Security Adviser assured that future elections in the country will be safe and protected.
He warned that security agents are on red alert to thwart efforts by political actors and their supporters to disrupt elections in the country.
Speaking on Friday at the meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) at the INEC headquarters in Abuja, the NSA warned that the Nigerian security community will not condone any form of electoral violence capable of disrupting the nation’s democracy.
This was coming as the electoral management body gears up for the forthcoming bye-elections in 12 states across the country.
Ridadu who was represented by the Director of Internal Security in his office, Mr Hassan Yahaya Abdullahi, said the primary objective of the various security agencies during the bye-elections remain to safeguard the integrity of the upcoming elections.
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Harping on collaboration, the NSA said security and law enforcement agencies in the country need to quickly address potential threats and challenges encountered during elections.
The ICCES, he said, will, among other things, intensify intelligence efforts to monitor and pre-empt any threats to these elections and provide real-time intelligence to enable.
Ribadu said “our primary objective remains to safeguard the integrity of the upcoming elections.
“Therefore, we must ensure that eligible voters exercise their right to vote without fear or intimidation.
“In this regard, we will strengthen collaboration between security and law enforcement agencies to quickly address potential threats and challenges during the elections.
“Accordingly, the security component of ICCES will, among other things, intensify intelligence efforts to monitor and pre-empt any threats to these elections and provide real-time intelligence to enable the implementation of proactive measures.
“This is especially in States that are infested with recalcitrant subversive non-state actors who could be exploited by desperate politicians to undermine the elections.
“We will also maintain dialogue with the leadership of political parties and candidates to foster understanding and reduce tensions, as engagement with these stakeholders has proven effective in the past and should remain a priority.
“Finally, political actors and their supporters in the affected States and the FCT are warned to conduct themselves with decorum and respect for the democratic process, as any form of electoral violence and malpractices has no place in our elections”, he declared.
The Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu in his speech tasked security agencies to make adequate and proactive arrangements for the protection of personnel and assets to be deployed by the Commission and all stakeholders for these activities.
