By Oluwakemi Kindness
The United Nations on Tuesday warned that political competition and heightened emotions could trigger election-related violence in Nigeria.
This is as the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, assures that the force is preparing to secure the forthcoming elections.
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Leonardo Santos Simão, gave the warning on Tuesday during a visit to the IGP at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Simão said elections often present security challenges because of competition among political parties and candidates.
He said, “There are emotions also, and if they are not controlled, these emotions can be too violent.”
The UN representative stressed that the police had a special responsibility to preserve peace and stability, particularly as Nigeria continues to confront terrorism and other security threats.
He also raised concerns about public perceptions of police impartiality during elections, urging the force to ensure that its conduct does not undermine the electoral process.
Responding, IGP Olatunji Disu said the police had intensified preparations through continuous training of officers on election security and the management of election-related incidents.
He said, “As I speak with you, we have embarked on training upon training of our officers. We have updated their knowledge about the elections.”
The IGP disclosed that the police were also strengthening collaboration with other security agencies, including the military, Civil Defence, Customs, Immigration and the Department of State Services.
He said the joint training was aimed at improving coordination and ensuring effective security arrangements during elections.
Disu also said officers are being trained to identify and assist persons living with disabilities during the electoral process.
Expressing confidence in the force’s preparedness, he said, “If one of the elections starts tomorrow, the Nigerian police is ready to do what is expected of the Nigerian police.”
He assured Nigerians that the force would not disappoint in its responsibility to provide security during the elections.
