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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) have warned that vote buyers, political thugs and politicians with violent dispositions will be identified, reprimanded and restrained before, during and after the various polls lined up this year and the general elections next year.
NSA Nuhu Ribadu, gave the warning at the first regular consultative meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) held at the commission’s national headquarters in Abuja.
He said that action will cover the Area Council Elections in the FCT, different bye-elections this month, the off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and in Osun States, the general elections in 2027, the nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise (VRE), and ongoing Continuous Voter Registration.
Represented by Hassan Abdullahi, the Director, Internal Security in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Ribadu assured that adequate security personnel will be deployed to polling stations and high-risk electoral wards.
“The successful conduct of the Anambra governorship election further underscores President Bola Tinubu’s unwavering commitment to free, credible, and violence-free elections, thereby establishing a positive benchmark for future elections.
“This achievement is particularly significant as the nation prepares for upcoming electoral events. These include the Area Council Elections in the FCT, different bye-elections, the off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and in Osun States, as well as the general elections in 2027, and the nationwide Voter Revalidation Exercise (VRE), and ongoing Continuous Voter Registration.
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“As we prepare for the FCT Area Council elections and the bye-elections in Kano and Rivers State, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), designated as the lead agency for election security, in collaboration with other relevant agencies, is actively mobilizing resources and implementing measures to prevent any actions that could disrupt the electoral process.
“Accordingly, adequate security personnel will be deployed to polling stations and high-risk electoral wards. Also, political thugs and politicians with violent dispositions will be identified and reprimanded or restrained before, during and after the elections, while vote buyers will be traced and apprehended.
“Political parties, candidates, and their supporters are therefore urged to conduct themselves with decorum and uphold the integrity of the democratic process; any noncompliance will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law.
“Finally, media, civil society organizations, community leaders, and citizens are urged to support peaceful elections actively, as this can cultivate a sense of shared responsibility and strengthen the integrity of the democratic process,” he said.
On his part, the IGP, equally represented by CP Abayomi Shogunle, said: “We will continue to deploy massively for elections to ensure the polls are violent free.”
“We will continue to give adequate security to the INEC staff, the election materials and others on election day duty to enable carry out their duties without any iota of fear,” he assured.
