Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has warned politicians and their supporters against violence and vote buying ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, as well as by-elections in Rivers State in southern Nigeria and Kano State in northern Nigeria.
Ribadu spoke through the Director of Internal Security in the Office of the National Security Adviser, Hassan Abdullahi, during an Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security meeting organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria’s election management body. The meeting held in Abuja on Friday, 6 February 2026, ahead of the polls scheduled for Saturday, 21 February 2026.
He said security agencies were already working to prevent actions that could disrupt the voting process, and warned that anyone planning to sponsor violence or buy votes would be tracked and stopped before, during, and after the elections. Okay News reports that he urged political parties, candidates, and their supporters to behave responsibly and protect the credibility of the electoral process.
Ribadu said the Nigerian Police Force, the lead agency for election security, was coordinating with other security and law enforcement bodies to strengthen preparations, including the deployment of personnel to polling units and areas considered high risk.
He stressed that people described as political thugs, along with politicians with a history of violence, would be identified and restrained, while vote buyers would be traced and arrested. He warned that, “Any non-compliance will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law.”
Beyond security agencies, Ribadu also called on the media, civil society groups, community leaders, and citizens to take shared responsibility for protecting elections and discouraging intimidation and bribery at the polls.
He praised INEC for what he described as the successful conduct of the recent Anambra governorship election in Anambra State, a state in south-eastern Nigeria, and commended security and law enforcement agencies for maintaining order during the exercise.
Ribadu added that the peaceful outcome of the Anambra election showed what he called the commitment of Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to elections that are free, fair, and not driven by violence. He said the experience should serve as a positive standard as Nigeria prepares for more voting activities.
He listed upcoming elections and electoral programmes, including the FCT Area Council polls and the by-elections in Rivers and Kano, as well as off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti State in south-western Nigeria on Saturday, 20 June 2026, and in Osun State, also in south-western Nigeria, on Saturday, 8 August 2026. He also referenced Nigeria’s general elections expected in 2027, alongside a nationwide voter revalidation exercise and the ongoing continuous voter registration.
Also speaking, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by Commissioner of Police Abayomi Shogunle, assured the public that the police would deploy personnel widely to support peaceful voting. He said the police would provide security for INEC facilities and staff during and after the elections, adding, “This is to enable INEC staff to carry out their duties without fear in any part of the country.”
Earlier, the INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, urged security agencies to improve planning, deployments, intelligence gathering, and inter-agency coordination to support the FCT election and the by-elections in Rivers and Kano.
