The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has indicted security deployment during previous elections saying “it has left much to be desired.”
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu who spoke yesterday at the expanded meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), reminded heads of security agencies that the purpose of security deployment during elections is to safeguard the integrity of the electoral processes.
“No thugs and hoodlums can be more powerful than the Nigeria Police and other security agencies. It is the failure to act decisively and collaboratively that encourages thuggery and serves as an incentive for bad behaviour.
“…There is emphasis on numbers of security personnel but less on synergy, coordination and collaboration among the various security agencies in line with the purpose for which ICCES was established in the first instance,” Prof. Yakubu noted.
He also regretted that more emphasis were paid by the security agencies on numbers of security personnel to be deployed but less consideration on strategic deployment to protect the process, noting that in the process, voters, election officials, party agents, observers and the media, were exposed to attacks by thugs and hoodlums.
Prof. Yakubu called for a different approach to election security, beginning with the re-run elections this January, adding, “It is the responsibility of the security agencies to secure the environment for the successful conduct of elections.”
He explained that the presence of the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibrahim Magu, and his Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) counterpart, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, at the meeting was because of the concern expressed on the illegal deployment of financial resources to influence the outcome of elections, including vote-buying at polling units on election day.
According to him, ICCES, at its last meeting last December, recognised the existing collaboration with the anti-corruption agencies in tracking financial flows for illicit purposes as well as the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators of such flows.
The National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Mungono, who is also Co-Chairman of ICCES, threatened to punish any security personnel who might compromise in their responsibilities.
“There must be consequences for bad behaviour. Bad behaviour not only in relation to thugs, criminal, outlaws and people
who just want to upset the entire system but our own elements and agents who either by design or default want to scuttle this process
must be brought to book.
“Anyone who behaves outside the confines of
legitimacy will have to be dealt with. Anything that is illegal, w are not going to allow to be pushed under the carpet,” Mungono stated.
He reminded them that they have the responsibility of securing the electoral process, and assured that lessons learnt in the last elections would be reflected on the elections to be held early this year.
“We have converged at the security sector to look at the poutcome of elections. We have made out assessment, not only at the
strategic operations but right down to the tactical level. Lessons have been drawn.
“I want to assure every body that these lessons are actually going to have a responsibility to securing this process.
“The voters and indeed the wider society have a lot of expectations from us and we
need to fulfill the legitimate expectations of the people by behaving in accordance with the statutues.
“For those of us in the security environment, what we need to do is to address the challenges we had in the previous elections and to ensure that these things do not recur.
“Securing the environment, protecting the electorate and those who will actually engage the process, the officials of INEC and other state officials is a responsibility for all of us.
Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu called for synergy among security agencies, and warned that without proper security, election would hold.
Adamu stated that no touts could come out and commit any electoral offense on the election day without connivance from either security agencies or INEC officials or the politicians.
“But when we work together, everybody knows his responsibilities, when we work together, we can stop anybody that will want to disrupt election,” he said.
The IGP noted that advice given to INEC officials by security personnel on the line of action to avert crisis were not taken seriously.
“We have instances where advises were made but they were not taken and at the end, we know what happened. There were complaints here and there and the process was disrupted.
“We saw some areas where breaches took place and if we observed them, solutions would be found especially we had ballot box snatching, violent actions from the electoral agents,” he said.
