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

In a speech at the 2025 Blueprint Newspapers Impact Series and Awards Ceremony in Abuja, General Christopher Musa, the Minister of Defence, emphasized that no security system can ensure peaceful elections if political actors resort to violence during the election campaign. Musa highlighted that no electoral law can succeed in the face of misinformation and asserted that responsible journalism is now a crucial element of national security.

He stressed that ensuring credible and peaceful elections is a joint responsibility of all stakeholders, not just electoral officials and security agencies. The Minister warned that today's threats are not limited to conventional weapons but are increasingly spread through cyberspace, manipulated information, and economic hardship, further deepening ethnic and religious divides.

Musa stressed that election security must now focus on protecting democratic legitimacy, not just protecting polling stations. He argued that democracy cannot thrive if citizens lose faith in the rule of law. The former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdul’Aziz Yari Abubakar, called for a credible and transparent 2027 general election, emphasizing the ruling party's responsibility to ensure the election is free and fair despite the challenges of insecurity.