Lancelot Anyanya strength and ineffectual communication against the backdrop of the large and widespread scale of incident occurrence; such assessments may not be fair. As already noted, the fact that subsequent polls could still hold even though it had to be shifted by some days in a few states is a testimonial to the stellar performance of our security forces. An objective assessment of their performance in my view should blame observed lapses on more fundamental systemic deficiencies external to them which include but are not limited to the very nature of our polity, socio-political and cultural pre­dispositions. This is however not to exonerate the security agencies from culpability in some of the avoidable lapses and deficiencies in tactics and other aspect of operations which this presentation has not concerned itself with. 2.8 Looking ahead to 2015 The elections in 2015 may seem far away but the ambient conditions that will shape them especially as it concerns security are already been shaped. The evolving security situation, along with other pertinent socio-political developments that will culminate in the security atmosphere for the 2015 elections indicate very frightful, indeed grave prognosis. The actions that are needed to avert the danger that looms in 2015 are still in the conclusions and recommendations of the 2010 workshop. Serious and fundamental security sector reforms which are essentially outcomes demanded by the 2010 workshop recommendations must be undertaken urgently to allow for an atmosphere in which elections can be conducted. This of course is in addition to conclusive resolution of prevailing national security challenges with terrorism in some 28 ELECTION SECURITY IN NIGERIA: MATTERS ARISING Assessment of 2011 Elections in view of Recommendations from the 2010 Workshop parts of the country. These actions are clearly outside INEC's statutory mandate. With elections apparently still far away in 2015, even the leverage of its institutional clout may not command the same threshold of attention from the public or other stakeholders. Nonetheless, INEC needs to begin the process of engagement with relevant stakeholders now and do so with sufficient and robust empirical clarity. To do this, there is need to significantly upgrade the capacity of the organic security function within INEC to reflect the growing proportion of security planning and coordination responsibilities the electoral management body is likely to be saddled with. On the part of the security agencies, what is required is a rigorous internal process of re-orientation. The traditional mindsets on which the agencies were run must change to reflect the uniqueness of the security threats that now confront us. Yesterday's solutions have obviously not solved today's problem. Today's thinking therefore cannot address tomorrow's challenges. A strictly regimented traditional mindset in engaging with political superiors for instance would no longer suffice. After all, if such mindsets with their warped notions of loyalty are retained, we may soon find that we have no country and political masters to serve. The security community needs to become more involved in the salient task of demanding institutional reforms that will make their operations particularly during elections more professional, impartial and effective. The greatest threat is the possible loss of public confidence in the ability of security agencies to be impartial arbiters in the bitter contest for political power which elections broker. This is the threat that all stakeholders in the ELECTION SECURITY IN NIGERIA: MATTERS ARISING 29