Security and the 2015 elections: issues and perspectives

Abstract

Politics is the quest for power, influence and authority and for the simple reason that political office aids the allocation of resources in transition states it is often viewed as warfare with attendant security implications. Security which is the freedom from danger or damage whether physical or emotional is imperative in the electoral process. Elections in Nigeria are full of acrimony and therefore fraught with danger. Election security has been a major challenge to both the election umpire (Independent National Electoral Commission) and the citizenry as political parties and their supporters view the electoral process as a “do or die” affair resulting in brigandage and electoral malfeasance. The just concluded 2015 general elections were not an exception as some of the elections were characterized by pockets of violence and security breaches despite the rigorous preparations put in place by the Independent National Electoral Commission to stem the tide of insecurity during the process. Some states experienced some form of security breaches such as replacement of trained adhoc staff, connivance of security personnel with politicians and holding INEC staff hostage to corrupt the electoral process. The methodology for the paper was qualitative. A total of 20 respondents comprising of top officials of INEC and some members of the public were interviewed for the paper. Anchoring the analysis on the Political Economy and Systems theories the paper concludes that a mobile 21^st Century Police force can ensure the security of the electoral process in Nigeria.

Key words: Security, Elections, Power, Authority, Mobile force.