Preface are a strategic ally in this respect. Elaborate meetings and brainstorming sessions are often held with them during preparations for elections. This publication, apart from dealing with matters arising from the 2010 workshop, provides a comparative perspective on the issue of election security. A recurrent and intimidating challenge in Nigeria more than in Kenya and Ghana is how to make security agents to transcend communal, primordial and narrow ethno-religious loyalties. Security agents conceive of their role as securing the lives and properties of big men of power rather than policing for citizenship. Of course, the mindset of politicians is unhelpful in this regard. Men and women of power in Nigeria find it inconvenient to respect the law. How else can we explain the intimidating movements of incumbent office holders and their convoy during elections? What about police nonchalant and poor exercise of their discretionary power to act in defence of the weak in protection of the rule of law and against the strong in order to promote the motion of one person, one vote? How to make security agents act professionally during elections remains an enduring challenge. But it must be admitted that the theory of the emergence of a silver lining in this regard is real. The creation by the independent national electoral commission(INEC) of the inter consultative committee on election security(ICCES) has contributed in no small measure to enhancing election security during Nigeria's 2011 general elections and after. It is now a rare phenomenon to see policemen helping politicians to x ELECTION SECURITY IN NIGERIA: MATTERS ARISING Preface snatch ballot boxes in the open. The revolution in technology and its massive deployment in election administration is a strong deterrent. There are, of course, still outstanding challenges of the security community. There had been occasions when Nigeria's electoral commission had invited the attention of security agents to unprofessional conduct of their staff during elections but without corresponding remedial measures. Of course, there is no alternative to a continuous engagement by election management bodies of security agents while simultaneously exposing security staff to training and professional conduct. Yes, politicians and staff of election managers need to cultivate more concern for ethics and act in protection of core national values. It is our expectation that this publication will help practitioners to improve on the security environment of elections such that the preference of the elector will become less ambiguous and more manifest. This is one way of making the downtrodden and the powerful to be heard which s an important element of governance and democratization. No matter our position within the social structure of our society, we have a role to play in election security. We should not engage in mere lamentations or nurse a sense of despondency, disillusionment and helplessness. We can all act to alter the security architecture to become more election friendly. 'Lai Olurode Abuja, Sept. 2013. ELECTION SECURITY IN NIGERIA: MATTERS ARISING xi