Electoral Security Management in Nigeria: Lessons for Future Elections

This study analyses the management of electoral security during the 2023 general elections in Nigeria, drawing lessons for improving security planning, inter-agency coordination, and the protection of voters and electoral personnel in future election cycles. Providing adequate security during elections is a critical public administration challenge in Nigeria, where electoral violence, intimidation of voters and officials, and interference with result transmission have historically compromised the integrity of democratic processes. Using a qualitative case study design, the study draws on security reports from the office of the National Security Adviser, Independent National Electoral Commission election reports, observer mission assessments from domestic and international organisations, and interviews with security personnel deployed during the elections. The electoral security governance framework and the civil-military relations theory are applied to analyse coordination mechanisms between the commission and security agencies. Findings reveal that while multi-agency security deployment improved compared to previous elections, the 2023 elections were still marred by incidents of ballot box snatching, voter intimidation, and attacks on electoral officials in specific states, concentrated in the South East, South South, and North West geopolitical zones. Coordination failures between the commission and the police and military were documented in several hotspot communities, reducing the responsiveness of security deployments to emerging threats. Recommendations include a permanent electoral security coordination framework with clear command structures, pre-election threat assessment protocols, and post-election accountability for security personnel who fail in protective duties. Keywords: electoral security, 2023 elections, security management, civil-military relations, democratic governance