Defence Minister Warns Against Last-Minute Deployments for Election Security

The Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (retd.), has warned security agencies against relying on last-minute deployments to secure elections.

Musa gave the warning on Tuesday while delivering the keynote address at a security seminar organised by Blueprint newspaper.

He said election security should not be treated as an activity limited to election day, but as a continuous process requiring early planning, intelligence gathering and coordination among relevant institutions.

According to him, successful election security requires months of preparation, intelligence-led operations, inter-agency coordination, effective communication and continuous assessment of emerging threats.

“Security should never be viewed as an event. It is a process that begins long before campaigns commence and continues long after the final vote has been counted,” he said.

Musa said the changing nature of security threats meant that election preparations must go beyond the physical protection of polling units.

He identified cyberspace, misinformation, economic hardship and the manipulation of ethnic and religious divisions as emerging threats capable of undermining electoral processes.

The minister warned that a major threat to election integrity might no longer come from an individual carrying a weapon at a polling unit, but from anonymous actors operating online to manipulate information and undermine public confidence.

He proposed a six-pillar framework for strengthening election security, beginning with strategic intelligence and early warning systems.

Musa also identified protection of digital infrastructure as a key priority, urging security agencies to safeguard electoral systems, communication networks and information platforms against cyberattacks and malicious interference.

He listed civil-military coordination as the third pillar, stressing the need for cooperation among security agencies while respecting their constitutional responsibilities.

The minister also emphasised unified strategic communication, saying timely and accurate information was essential to countering misinformation and maintaining public confidence before, during and after elections.

On responsible information management and citizen engagement, Musa said the fight against misinformation should involve government, the media, technology companies, civil society organisations, educational institutions and citizens.

He urged stakeholders to promote fact-based public discourse and reject narratives capable of inciting violence or undermining confidence in democratic institutions.

Former Zamfara State Governor, AbdulAziz Yari, also warned politicians against exploiting insecurity for political advantage.

Yari described the fight against insecurity as a collective responsibility and urged political parties to avoid using the country’s security challenges to win public sympathy.

The minister’s warning comes as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, with stakeholders increasingly focusing on early security planning, digital threats and the prevention of election-related violence.