Expert urges sustained voter education, stronger security to curb election violence

Expert urges sustained voter education, stronger security to curb election violence

Prof. Adepoju Tejumaije, of Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, University of Lagos (UNILAG), says continuous voter education and improved security are key to  preventing  violence during elections.

Tejumaije said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

He said that educating politicians, voters and young people on the dangers of election violence remained the most effective strategy for peaceful polls.

According to him, many young people are often recruited by politicians to engage in violence and foment trouble during elections.

“The greatest thing government can do is to educate everyone, including politicians, youths and the general public, on the dangers of political violence.

“People need to understand that political violence benefits no one. Many politicians use other people’s children to carry out violence, while their own children are far away from the danger,” he said.

The political communication expert also called for stronger security during elections, saying security agencies should receive regular training on preventing and responding to election violence.

He said the deployment of security personnel, including the military in strategic locations near polling units, could discourage troublemakers without interfering with the voting process.

“The presence of security personnel close to polling units serves as a strong deterrent. People planning to cause trouble will think twice if they know they cannot escape justice,” he said.

Tejumaije also advocated the introduction of civic education on political violence into school curricula to help young Nigerians understand the importance of peaceful democratic participation.

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According to him, schools should teach students that elections are not a do-or-die affair and that no political ambition is worth the loss of human lives.

He further urged government, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and civil society organisations to intensify public enlightenment campaigns peaceful participation in elections through television, radio, newspapers, social media and billboards before elections.

The don  noted that similar campaigns conducted before the 2023 general elections helped to raise public awareness about peaceful participation in the electoral process.

Tejumaije stressed that intelligence gathering should also be strengthened to identify and stop planned acts of violence before they occur.

“Political violence does not happen suddenly. There is usually planning behind it. Effective intelligence gathering can help security agencies prevent such incidents before they happen,” he said.

The don also called for greater transparency in governance, saying technology and automation of government processes would reduce corruption and lessen the desperation to gain political office at all costs.

According to him, transparent systems make public officials more accountable and discourage the abuse of power.

Tejumaije urged Nigerians to embrace patriotism and nationalism, saying peaceful elections were essential for the country’s democratic growth.

He expressed optimism that 2027 elections would be free of violence with right actions

“No election is worth the life of any Nigerian. Once citizens understand that elections are about choosing leaders and building a better country, political violence will gradually become a thing of the past,” he said.