By Aminu Dalhatu
A Non Governmental Organisations, CLEEN Foundation has commenced a two-day Citizens’ Engagement on Election Security aimed at strengthening community participation and collaboration with relevant communities and institutions to promote safer elections in Zamfara State.
The engagement, with the theme “Election Security: Building Safer Communities Before and After Elections,” is being held in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital.
Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of the Foundation, Mr Peter Maduoma, stated this at the opening ceremony of the two-day Citizens’ Engagement on Election Security in Gusau.
Mr Maduoma, who was represented by the Senior Programme Officer of the Foundation, Mr Bernard Ekobay, said the engagement was an important platform for stakeholders to deliberate on election security and the safety of communities before and after elections.
He said for many years, the conventional approach to election security had focused primarily on Election Day deployments, including the deployment of security personnel to polling units and the protection of sensitive electoral materials.
Mr Maduoma, however, said empirical evidence and recent security developments had demonstrated that, election security was not a single-day exercise but a continuous and deliberate process that directly affected public safety, regional economies and community well-being.
He explained that, when security breaks down before an election through localized violence, hate speech, disinformation or voter disenfranchisement, the consequences could extend beyond the electoral process.
According to him, such situations could lead to the abandonment of farms, disruption of local businesses and erosion of community trust in public institutions.
He added that, effective election security, supported by strong coordination, intelligence-led strategies and genuine community partnerships, could help strengthen trust and security beyond the electoral period.
The Executive Director explained that, the two-day engagement was specifically designed to bridge the gap between grassroots community intelligence and formal security structures.
He said the programme would focus on several key outcomes, beginning with Community Election Security Threat Mapping, where local stakeholders, including women, youths and traditional leaders, would identify early warning indicators, localized risks and pre-election security threats.
He said communities would also develop a Citizens’ Charter of Demand, translating identified security concerns into clear expectations for security agencies, electoral bodies and political actors.
Mr Maduoma further explained that the second day would feature a Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue and Institutional Access, providing an opportunity for community representatives to engage directly with key institutions, including the Nigeria Police Force, INEC and political leaders, and present identified concerns to decision-makers.
He further disclosed that the engagement would culminate in the signing of a Peace Accord, through which political candidates and parties would make public commitments to uphold peace, reject non-state violence and promote community safety before, during and after the electoral cycle.
Mr Peter Maduoma stressed that communities should not be viewed merely as passive recipients of security services or as complainants when systems fail.
He said local communities, traditional institutions, vigilante networks and civil society organisations represented an important layer of early warning, de-escalation and intelligence.
According to him, when communities identify their own security risks and work closely with formal law enforcement agencies, security responses become more targeted, responsive and accountable.
The Executive Director expressed appreciation to the Open Society Foundations (OSF) for its continued partnership and funding support towards the initiative.
Mr Peter Maduoma urged participants to engage actively and constructively throughout the two-day programme and share their experiences and concerns to help strengthen election security in their communities.
The participants were drawn from various communities across Zamfara State, as well as representatives of relevant organisations and institutions.
Editing By Yusuf Zubairu
COV/AMINU DALHATU
