Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has warned political actors against violence and vote buying ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, and the by-elections scheduled for Rivers State in southern Nigeria and Kano State in northern Nigeria.
He delivered the warning through Hassan Abdullahi, Director of Internal Security in the Office of the National Security Adviser, during a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria’s election management body. The meeting took place in Abuja on Friday, 6 February 2026, ahead of the elections set for Saturday, 21 February 2026.
Ribadu said security agencies would identify and restrain individuals or groups planning to cause trouble before, during, and after the polls. He urged political parties, candidates, and their supporters to act with restraint and respect the democratic process.
He said the Nigerian Police Force, which leads election security operations, was working with other security and law enforcement agencies to mobilise resources and prevent disruptions. He added that security personnel would be deployed to polling units and electoral wards considered high risk.
Ribadu also said people described as political thugs, as well as politicians with violent tendencies, would be singled out and stopped, while vote buyers would be traced and arrested. He warned, “Any non-compliance will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law.”
He called on the media, civil society groups, community leaders, and citizens to take shared responsibility for protecting elections and discouraging actions that undermine voter choice.
Ribadu commended INEC for the conduct of the Anambra governorship election in Anambra State, a state in south-eastern Nigeria, and praised security agencies for maintaining order during that poll. He said the peaceful outcome reflected what he described as the commitment of Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to credible and violence-free elections.
He noted that more electoral activities are ahead, including off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti State in south-western Nigeria on Saturday, 20 June 2026, and Osun State in south-western Nigeria on Saturday, 8 August 2026, as well as Nigeria’s general elections expected in 2027. He also mentioned the nationwide voter revalidation exercise and the ongoing continuous voter registration.
The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by Commissioner of Police Abayomi Shogunle, assured Nigerians of widespread deployments to keep the elections peaceful. He said the police would continue to protect INEC facilities and personnel during and after the polls, adding, “This is to enable INEC staff to carry out their duties without fear in any part of the country.”
In his remarks, the INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, urged security agencies to strengthen planning, deployment, intelligence gathering, and coordination for the FCT election and the by-elections in Rivers and Kano.