Isaac Samuel
Ahead of the August bye-elections and the November 8 governorship election in Anambra State, National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has warned political actors that there would be no tolerance for violence or acts capable of undermining the democratic process during the election.
Speaking through the Director of Internal Security at the Office of the NSA, Hassan Abdullahi, Ribadu said security agencies have been placed on high alert to identify and neutralise any threats before, during, and after the elections.
He stated this on Friday at the second regular meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), convened by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja.
He added that intelligence gathering will be intensified in areas prone to political violence and subversive activities, with security agencies directed to adopt proactive measures.
The NSA 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.
“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.
On his part, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, outlined the commission’s electoral schedule for the coming months, which includes 16 bye-elections across 12 states on August 16 and the commencement of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
Yakubu disclosed that online pre-registration would begin on August 18, with physical registration kicking off on August 25. He also confirmed that rerun elections previously disrupted by violence would hold in Enugu and Kano on August 16, following security assurances.
