National security adviser Babagana Monguno confirmed on Tuesday that security agencies were prepared to respond to any potential threats and violence ahead of this weekend’s gubernatorial and House elections.
Mongolia wildHowever, speaking at a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security in Abuja, he said security agencies did not expect violence during the election.
Defense Minister Lt. Gen. Lucky Irabor and Police Inspector-General Usman Alkali Baba met recently as part of efforts to ensure a smooth election on Saturday, he added.
The National Security Agency said: “Of course, Saturday’s election will be much more complicated and the context will be different. First of all, we will have 1021 districts, which means more people will be interested and more people will vote. … Obviously, the dynamics will be very different from the election that just ended.
“With the security agencies, I know a lot of work has been done. I’ve been talking to the chief of the defense staff and the police chief, who is the lead agency in the election process.
Also read: NSA Monguno warns politicians against violence in 2023 election
“So far so good, we don’t expect anything terrible or apocalyptic to happen in the next few days. But that doesn’t mean we should all cancel our preparedness. We have to play by the rules. We also have to allow Everyone is exercising their fundamental rights as citizens of this country.”
He also urged all parties and their supporters to maintain peace to ensure that the expectations of Nigerians are met.
“While commending the efforts of the various parties and individuals who participated in the last election, especially those calling for peace and calm, I also want to urge these individuals, especially individuals at the state level, to demonstrate the same level of maturity, Discipline, calling on their supporters to behave in a manner consistent with the expectations of the larger Nigerian society. Of course, there are channels for placing and dealing with complaints.
“What we don’t want to happen is for anyone to take the law into their own hands. We will give our utmost support to all entities involved in this process. We also call on the political parties to call on their people to abide by order,” Monguno added.
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