What is your message to the security forces about how they act during elections?
I have said clearly that elections are civil engagements, not military operations. Ballot papers are not bullets, voters are not enemy combatants, and opposition members are not insurgents. Our security forces must protect voters, not frighten them. They must secure the ballot, not create an atmosphere of siege around it.
Where this comes from
Article on X Article by @atiku on X · https://x.com/atiku/status/2087552029358956958 2026-08-12 ›
Let me remind those in authority: elections are civil engagements, not military operations. Ballot papers are not bullets. Voters are not enemy combatants. Opposition members are not insurgents.
If Nigeria possesses this enormous security capacity, Nigerians are entitled to ask a simple question: why is the same overwhelming force not being deployed against the terrorists, kidnappers and bandits who are killing our people, abducting our children and driving citizens from their communities?
Our security forces must protect voters, not frighten them. They must secure the ballot, not create an atmosphere of siege around it.
And to INEC, I say this clearly:
Osun is a test.
There must be no mysterious glitches. No unexplained delays. No manipulation of the process.
Election materials must arrive promptly. Accredited voters must be allowed to vote freely. Votes must be counted honestly, and results must be transmitted transparently and in accordance with the law.
