Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), on Tuesday, identified cyber attacks as the greatest threats to election security, warning that security threats have evolved from physical to cyberspace.
Musa stated this while delivering the keynote address at the 8th edition of Blueprint Newspapers Public Lecture/ Impact and Awards, with the theme: “Security Challenges and Integrity of Nigeria’s 2027 Elections.”
The Minister, who was represented by his Special Adviser on policy and research, Major General Olufemi Akinjobi (rtd.), noted that the digital revolution has transformed the information environment, as artificial intelligence has introduced extraordinary opportunities for development, innovation and governance, while also creating new vulnerabilities.
He said, “The greatest threat to an election today may not necessarily be the individual carrying a weapon near a polling unit.
“It may well be the anonymous actor operating behind a computer screen, deliberately manipulating information, exploiting social divisions and attempting to weaken confidence in democratic institutions.
“This is why election security must now extend beyond physical protection to include cyber resilience, strategic communication and the defence of truth itself.”
According to Musa, election security can no longer be viewed simply as the protection of polling stations, but fundamentally, the protection of democratic legitimacy.
He added, “Today, sophisticated technologies can generate convincing but entirely fabricated videos, cloned voices and manipulated images capable of misleading millions of people within minutes.
“Across different parts of the world, we have already witnessed elections influenced by coordinated misinformation campaigns, cyber interference and malicious digital content designed to erode public confidence. Africa is not immune. Neither is Nigeria.”
The Minister, however, lauded Nigeria’s resilience in protecting democratic institutions since the return of democracy in 1999, adding that remarkable progress had been made in defending Nigeria’s democracy.
He said if the threats confronting elections have evolved, then our response must evolve with them, adding that
preparing for the 2027 general elections should not simply be viewed as an operational exercise for election day.
“It must become a national project aimed at strengthening democratic resilience, the capacity of institutions to withstand pressure without compromising their constitutional responsibilities, the ability of citizens to reject misinformation without abandoning trust, and the confidence that, regardless of political affiliation, every Nigerian can participate in the democratic process safely and freely,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, said there is a need for early preparations to safeguard the security and integrity of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The APC Chairman said threat assessments should cover banditry, terrorism, kidnapping, communal conflicts, disinformation, cyber intrusion, vote buying and the recruitment of young people for political violence.
Yilwatda said preparations for the 2027 elections should begin before political campaigns and campaign posters dominate the public space.
He identified intelligence gathering, conflict mapping, effective policing, secure borders, responsible political speech, trusted institutions, transparent electoral technology and prosecution of offenders as key areas requiring attention.
