Defence Minister: No Security Architecture Can Guarantee Peaceful Elections If Political Actors Choose Violence

*Says responsible journalism is essential pillar of national security

Linus Aleke in Abuja
The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd.), said no security architecture, regardless of how sophisticated, can guarantee peaceful elections if political actors choose violence during electioneering.

General Musa also noted that no electoral law could succeed where misinformation is allowed to replace truth, adding that ensuring credible and peaceful elections is a shared responsibility among all stakeholders.

The Minister stated that responsible journalism has become an essential pillar of national security, especially now that information travels faster than facts, opinions compete with evidence, and falsehoods can spread across continents in seconds.

He stressed that the integrity of Nigeria’s elections will depend not only on the actions of electoral officials and security agencies, but also on the ability of the media to inform rather than inflame, educate rather than manipulate, and build confidence rather than deepen division.

Delivering a keynote address themed, ‘Security Challenges and the Integrity of Nigeria’s 2027 Elections” at the 2025 Blueprint Newspapers Impact Series and Awards Ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday, General Musa said the deployment of security personnel during elections is no longer sufficient because the character of security itself has changed.

Represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Policy and Strategy, Major General Olufemi Akinjobi (Rtd.), the Minister said: “Today’s threats rarely announce themselves with uniforms or conventional weapons. They emerge through cyberspace, spread through manipulated information, exploit economic hardship, inflame ethnic and religious divisions, and undermine confidence in public institutions. Increasingly, they seek not merely to influence how citizens vote, but whether citizens believe in democracy itself.

“That is why I submit that election security can no longer be viewed simply as the protection of polling stations. It is, fundamentally, the protection of democratic legitimacy. This distinction matters because, while elections may be won at polling units, democracies are sustained by public trust. Public trust has become one of the most strategic national assets any country can possess.

“No security architecture, regardless of how sophisticated, can guarantee peaceful elections if political actors choose violence over dialogue. No electoral law can succeed where misinformation is allowed to replace truth. No democratic institution can flourish where citizens lose faith in the rule of law.”

General Musa said security, in its truest sense, is not merely the absence of violence; it is the presence of confidence.

According to him: “It is the assurance that every Nigerian can speak freely, assemble peacefully and vote without fear. It is the certainty that our institutions will act with integrity, professionalism and fidelity to the Constitution. And it is the enduring belief that our democracy is strong enough to accommodate competition without sacrificing cohesion, and diversity without diminishing our shared identity.

“The election of a President, Governor or legislator is undoubtedly important…”. But there is something even greater that must emerge victorious in 2027: Nigeria herself. Long after campaign slogans have faded, after ballots have been counted and after winners have been declared, this nation must remain united, secure and confident in the strength of her democratic institutions.”

Former Zamfara State Governor and Chairman of the Occasion, Senator Abdul’Aziz Yari Abubakar called for a credible and transparent 2027 general election, saying insecurity should not be allowed to undermine the integrity of the electoral process.

The former Governor said the ruling party has a responsibility to demonstrate its commitment to democracy by ensuring that the election is free and fair.

“Coming from the ruling party, the signal I will send to others is that, despite the challenges of insecurity, the integrity of this election will be one of the first of its kind, by God’s grace,” he said.

Earlier in his address of welcome, the Managing Director of Blueprint Newspaper Limited, Mallam Salisu Umar, said the cardinal purpose of the lecture and award ceremony was to create a platform where some specific issues of national interests can be tabled and discussed intellectually outside the traditional newspaper space, as well as to honour Nigerians who have demonstrated exemplary leadership in governance, policy clarity, and transformational impact across Nigeria’s public and private sectors.

He said this year’s lecture topic was carefully chosen to address the current priorities centering around national safety, and was equally chosen as its modest contribution to the lingering security challenges bordering the nation, which of course, should be a collective concern to all citizens.