Professor Attahiru M. Jega, OFR Challenges Since April 2011, both security services and the Commission has made significant strides in dealing with security challenges to the electoral process. I wish to register the Commission's gratitude to security services for their active participation in the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) that we collectively established in the last quarter of 2010. For the first time in the history of election security in Nigeria, we have a common platform responsible for the coordination of security matters and polling of scarce resources, particularly personnel in dealing with common security challenges. Through ICCES, security services have promptly intervened and forestalled potential crises situations that could have gotten out of hand across the country. It is important to continue to strengthen the operations of ICCES and ensure its effectiveness at the state and especially the Local Government Levels. INEC's experience since 2011 General Elections has shown that some of the most serious challenges to election security have been associated to deployment of security personnel. While there were tremendous strides in deployments in 2011 compared to previous elections, there is still room for further improvements. Issues such as early and adequate deployments to polling units, the provision of escort/protection for election officials and sensitive election materials, preventing violence between supporters of one political party and another, the presence/influence of thugs and militia groups in certain parts of the country as well as attacks on electoral personnel are outstanding issues which need to be urgently xxii ELECTION SECURITY IN NIGERIA: MATTERS ARISING Security Challenges of Election Management: Towards 2015 addressed so as to enhance the credibility and transparency of the electoral process. However, election security is an issue that cannot be left to Security Agencies and Electoral Management Bodies alone; all other stakeholders such as the media, the National Orientation Agency, Community Leaders, CSOs etc. have a significant role to play in the task of securing the electoral environment. Towards a Robust Election Security Management We have come a long way since the April 2011 General Elections. In many important respects, we have been addressing election security challenges in a more coordinated fashion than has been the case before as indicated in the continuing improvements in the security arrangements in the various re-run elections across the country from the Kogi (December, 2011) to the Kebbi(March, 2012) Governorship Elections. Paradoxically, some of the security challenges we have been addressing seem to be recurring. A major challenge we face is on how to prevent re-occurrence of addressed issues. Another challenge is how to balance the imperative of securing the electoral process with the need to allow voters unfettered opportunity to come out and cast their votes without fear or intimidation as a result of the presence of security personnel. Conclusion Let me conclude by noting that, as we deliberate on the key challenges of election security over the next two days, we need to generate ideas on how to make the 2015 General Elections ELECTION SECURITY IN NIGERIA: MATTERS ARISING xxiii