The Federal Government has identified politicians who are uncertain of their fate in the coming elections as the ones planning to cause widespread crises in order to scuttle them.
The National Security Adviser, Maj.-Gen. Babagana Mongouno (retd) made the disclosure on Tuesday in Abuja, saying that what they planned to do was to instigate widespread violence.
He spoke at an emergency meeting with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.
Present at the meeting were the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar Adamu and the Director General of Department of State Services, Yusuf Magaji Bichi.
Monguno, however, said that the government was taking adequate steps to ensure that the elections would be peaceful and credible.
Among other things, the security chief said, the use of private security and vigilance groups would be prohibited across the country.
While giving the assurance that security agencies would remain neutral in the elections, he appealed to governors to co-operate with them to ensure peace.
The chairman of the forum, Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, gave the assurance of the governors’ co-operation, stressing that elections was not a do-or-die affair.
He however said security agencies needed to collaborate with one another to be able to achieve good result in ensuring peace.
Said he: “We are prepared to partner with security agencies to ensure that the process is credible and that the elections are acknowledged as free and fair by both local and international observers.
“Members of the governors’ forum are committed to collaborate with security agencies to ensure that the forthcoming elections are free, fair and conducted in an environment conducive for peaceful elections.
“Governors are, however, concerned about the proliferation of arms and ammunition and the spate of kidnapping across the country.
“The forum recommends stronger collaboration and intelligence sharing among security agencies in the country to ensure that all lives and property are protected, regardless of individual or group affiliations.
“Lastly, we seek stronger synergy between governors as the chief security officers of their respective states and the heads of security agencies to strengthen preemptive measures of curbing election violence and other anti-social vices.”
