At a meeting to review security plans for the forthcoming elections, the Council of State, which is made up of Mr. President, former Heads of State, Governors and former Chief Justices, agreed that military personnel would be deployed nationwide at least 48 hours before the elections. The troops will complement Police and other security agencies to ensure that Political thuggery and other forms of violence are not allowed to affect the conduct of the elections. The meeting also took briefings from the National Security Adviser, Chairman of INEC and Inspector-General of Police on arrangements for secure and credible elections.
The decision to deploy troops in large numbers throughout the Country before, during and after the elections is not new in Nigeria, but it does remind us that we are still involved in conducting electoral competition as if we are at war with each other. Ordinarily, the Police and other supplementary security personnel should suffice in terms of providing comfort and safety for election officials, voters and the public. But in Nigeria, our experience has shown that the challenges we face during elections are way beyond the capabilities of these agencies to handle. The mobilization of armed troops has regrettably become routine, but it has many dimensions.
When citizens wake up to find armed soldiers literally on their doorsteps a day or two before elections, they get scared. In 2007, many people complained that the presence of large numbers of armed military personnel discouraged them from going out to vote. High visibility of armed personnel creates the impression that conflict is about to break out, and it tends to heighten the fears and apprehensions of many people. Many prospective voters simply choose to forego their right and duty to elect their leaders because of fears that the presence of soldiers means trouble is about to break out.
There are also legitimate concerns that armed troops may not be adequately briefed on their duties. In the past, they made their presence known by riding around in towns and cities before election dates to announce their presence, and thereafter, took their places on streets and other areas where their presence alone should stop potential troublemakers. But on election days, many of them are engaged in controlling movements, interrogating pedestrians and drivers, and generally enforcing the restriction of movements. This task is pregnant with potentials for pitching the public against troops, particularly when the public is unaware of the exact nature of the role of the troops.
Most Nigerians will welcome any move to ensure that the elections are violent-free. We have lost too many lives, and shed too much blood already even before a single ballot is cast. While Nigerians will welcome troop presence, it will be of tremendous assistance to the troops, the public and the electoral process if the troops are acquainted with the basic requirements of their tasks. This will involve, among others, an understanding of what the elections involve, and what voters can or cannot do. One area which is important to impress on the military, the police and all security agencies is the decision of INEC that accreditation of voters will now start at 8am and end at 12.pm, while voting will commence at 12.30. This means that millions of voters will be required to leave their homes early, and stay at polling stations until the elections are over. For the purposes of crowd and movement control, security agencies need to appreciate this, and allow movement of people early in the day.
There will also be the need to appreciate the fact that large numbers of people will stay at the same spot, which are polling stations, for long periods. Attention needs to be paid to managing potentials for conflict and enforcing restrictions for movement in and around those areas. Security agents need to be firm but flexible, and should demonstrate the type of disposition which will give voters, officials and the public assurances of their safety and security. Above all, no security agent should get involved in the actual election process beyond what the law prescribes for him or her.
It is unfortunate indeed, that the manner in which politicians have conducted all past electoral campaigns, including this one, have brought us to a situation where election days, which are supposed to be happy and festive occasions, are approached with fear, foreboding and apprehension by Nigerians. No politician from any party should complain that 48 hours before elections, and until after results are declared, Nigerians will live like a people under foreign military occupation. But ordinary Nigerians should complain. This is not what we want to see every time we are about to choose those who should receive our mandate to govern. Those who intend to use violence to disrupt the elections should be firmly dealt with by the soldiers and security agents. Those who simply want to go out and vote and return home in peace should be encouraged and protected to do so. Those who cannot vote, or do not want to vote should stay off the streets on all polling days. The deployment of security agents should take special cognizance of rural areas where the most electoral abuses occur, but often with little violence. Election rigging is the worst form of violence against the people; and while some security agents should protect voters officials and the public, others should be deployed to protect our votes, especially in rural areas. The important point to be made to all Nigerians is that those who do not intent to break the law should have nothing to fear; and those who should protect voters, officials and the public should be friendly but firm in the discharge of their responsibilities.
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