By Attah Ede
National Security Adviser (NSA) Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, on Friday, threatened to trace, identify and reprimand political thugs and politician with violent dispositions during and after the slated elections in some states.
He particularly warned political actors against vote-buying in the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election and the by-elections in Rivers and Kano States.
Mallam Ribadu stated this during the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja on Friday, ahead of the February 21 elections.
The NSA who spoke through the Director of Internal Security in the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Hassan Abdullahi, insisted that any individual or group with such a plan would be identified and restrained before, during, and after the elections.
He therefore, called on political parties, candidates, and their supporters to conduct themselves with decorum and uphold the integrity of the democratic process.
According to him, the police and other security and law enforcement agencies are mobilising resources and measures to prevent actions that could disrupt electoral processes at polling units.
“Also, political thugs and politicians with violent dispositions will be identified and reprimanded or restrained before, during, and after the election, 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 non-compliance will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law.
“The media, civil society, community leaders, and citizens must cultivate a sense of shared responsibility to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy.
“I want to commend INEC for the successful conduct of the recent Anambra governorship election, as well as the various security and law enforcement agencies for their “outstanding performance” in maintaining order during the exercise”, Ribadu said.
He said the peaceful outcome of the Anambra polls underscored the ‘unwavering commitment’ of President Bola Tinubu to ensuring free, fair, and violence-free elections, thereby establishing a positive benchmark for future elections.
“This achievement is particularly significant as the nation prepares for the upcoming electoral events, and this includes the area council elections in the FCT and by-elections in Rivers and Kano states.
“This is in addition to the off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti State on June 20 and Osun on August 8, as well as general elections in 2027, and the nationwide voter revalidation exercise and ongoing continuous voter registration,” he said.
The inspector general of police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, represented by Abayomi Shogunle, assured the public of massive security deployments to ensure violence-free polls.
The IGP said the police would provide continuous security for INEC facilities and staff during and after the elections.
“This is to enable INEC staff to carry out their duties without fear in any part of the country,” Mr Egbetokun said.
INEC chairman Joash Amupitan urged the security agencies to up the ante in planning, deployment, intelligence gathering, and inter-agency coordination for the FCT elections and by-elections in Rivers and Kano states
