Foreword The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung(FES), a German non- profit organization that seeks to promote social democracy, understands the extreme sensitivity of the subject and so is committed to assisting INEC in its noble quest to improve the security of the electoral process. The stakeholders thought it appropriate to sit together and assess the security management of the 2011 elections; successes and challenges vis a vis the recommendations of the INEC/FES workshop in 2010.This publication is a compilation of the presentations and outcome of the assessment workshop “Security Challenges of Election Management: Matters Arising from 2011 and anticipating 2015” in 2012. We believe this, among all other measures adopted by INEC will contribute to increased citizens' trust in the Electoral Management Body, as well as encourage increased participation in the electoral process. We commend INEC for its tireless commitment to establish free, fair, credible and peaceful elections in Nigeria. Seija Sturies Resident Representative FES Nigeria viii ELECTION SECURITY IN NIGERIA: MATTERS ARISING PREFACE Theorizing about election security remains daunting and hazardous for several different but related factors. There is, first, the ever changing security architecture within and beyond national boundaries as well as their intersections. Second, the variables are diverse and their relationship rather complex. Third, the players in the global and national security architecture are numerous and may be driven in their actions not by purely security issues but also by narrow considerations and other non security parameters. In the opinion of the contributors to this publication, election security was taken as a sub set of national security architecture. Both are closely related and can be mutually reinforcing. To be more specific, a breakdown in election security in a small locality in a vast country as Nigeria can trigger a conflagration and repercussions far beyond the tiny local spatial setting. Not only would the elections go under but economic losses can be profound. Losses of life could also result. The increasing concern and involvement of election managers in security related issues make sense in the context of the above. Election managers in Africa cannot but engage with other stakeholders in the business of elections. Security agents ELECTION SECURITY IN NIGERIA: MATTERS ARISING ix