The National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, has warned political actors with violent tendencies and vote buyers against disrupting the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory Area Council election and the by-elections in Rivers and Kano states.
Ribadu issued the warning during the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja on Friday. He stressed that any individual or group planning such acts would be identified and restrained before, during, and after the elections.
Represented by Director of Internal Security in the Office of the NSA, Hassan Abdullahi, Ribadu urged political parties, candidates, and supporters to uphold decorum and the integrity of the democratic process. He noted that adequate security personnel would be deployed to polling stations and high-risk electoral wards, and that vote buyers would be traced and apprehended.
Ribadu also called on the media, civil society, community leaders, and citizens to cultivate a sense of shared responsibility to protect Nigeria’s democracy. He praised INEC for the successful conduct of the recent Anambra governorship election and commended security agencies for maintaining order, highlighting it as a benchmark for upcoming polls.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by CP Abayomi Shogunle, assured massive security deployments to ensure violence-free elections, including protection for INEC staff and facilities.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, urged security agencies to enhance planning, deployment, intelligence gathering, and inter-agency coordination ahead of the elections. Ribadu emphasized that these measures were part of preparations for other upcoming elections, including off-cycle governorship polls in Ekiti and Osun states and the 2027 general elections, alongside ongoing voter registration and revalidation exercises.
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