Security Agents and Elections Security in the 2015 Nigeria’s General Elections
Olajire O. Olutola *
Department of Behavioural Sciences, Redeemer’s University, Ede, Osun State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Election security has been identified as a salient condition for the orderly and effective administration of elections. Unfortunately, the inability of security agents to offer election security in a competent, independent and professional manner, with due recourse to the rule of law particularly respect for the fundamental human rights of the electorates has been seen as one of the fundamental cogs in the wheels of election security in Nigeria. Based on the foregoing, this paper critically examined the role of security agents in the conduct of 2015 elections in Nigeria. Relying mainly on secondary sources of data collection, the paper described how a notable departure from the past was noticeable in the conduct of security agents during the 2015 elections. While the paper concludes that there is room for significant improvement and a positive change, it canvases sincere, purposeful and determined commitment from the central government to make this realisable.
Keywords: Elections, election security, security agents, Nigeria, electoral violence