2027 Elections: Defence Minister warns against cyber threats, misinformation

By Chuks Oyema-Aziken

The Minister of Defence, General Christopher Gwabin Musa (rtd), has warned that Nigeria’s 2027 general elections face emerging security threats beyond conventional violence, including cyber interference, artificial intelligence-generated misinformation and coordinated attempts to undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.

The Minister, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Policy and Strategy, Major General Olufemi Akinjobi (rtd), stated this in his keynote address at the 2025 Blueprint Newspapers Impact Series and Awards Ceremony, with the theme, “Security Challenges and the Integrity of Nigeria’s 2027 Elections.”

Musa said the changing nature of security required Nigeria to broaden its approach to election security, stressing that the protection of polling units alone could no longer guarantee the integrity of elections.

“Election security can no longer be viewed simply as the protection of polling stations. It is, fundamentally, the protection of democratic legitimacy,” the Minister said.

According to him, threats to elections are increasingly being conducted through cyberspace, manipulated information, economic grievances and narratives capable of exploiting ethnic and religious divisions.

He said the rapid development of artificial intelligence had created new vulnerabilities, with technologies now capable of producing fabricated videos, cloned voices and manipulated images capable of misleading millions of people within minutes.

“The greatest threat to an election today may not necessarily be the individual carrying a weapon near a polling unit. It may well be the anonymous actor operating behind a computer screen, deliberately manipulating information, exploiting social divisions and attempting to weaken confidence in democratic institutions,” he warned.

The Defence Minister noted that Nigeria’s experience with terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, organised criminal networks and communal conflicts had demonstrated the need for continuous adaptation by security institutions.

He, however, said Nigeria was not starting its preparations for 2027 from scratch, noting that the country’s democratic journey since 1999 had provided important lessons in managing electoral security.

Reflecting on the 2023 general elections, Musa said security agencies undertook one of the largest coordinated election security operations in the country’s democratic history.

“Successful election security is not achieved through last-minute deployments. It is achieved through months of planning, intelligence-led operations, inter-agency coordination, effective communication and continuous assessment of emerging threats,” he said.

The Minister also reaffirmed the constitutional neutrality of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, stressing that the military has no partisan interest in the outcome of elections.

“The Armed Forces owe allegiance neither to political parties nor to individual candidates. Our allegiance is to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Our loyalty is to the Nigerian people,” he declared.

Musa said the Armed Forces would continue to provide support to civil authorities where lawfully authorised, while maintaining professionalism, discipline, respect for human rights and fidelity to the Constitution.

To strengthen Nigeria’s preparedness for the 2027 elections, the Minister proposed a “SECURE Framework”, built around strategic intelligence integration, electoral cyber resilience, civil-military coordination, unified strategic communication, a responsible information environment and engaged citizens.

He explained that the framework was intended to provide a strategic approach through which government institutions, security agencies, the media, civil society and citizens could collectively strengthen democratic resilience.

On intelligence, Musa called for an election security architecture that is intelligence-led rather than incident-driven, supported by early-warning mechanisms and real-time information sharing among security, intelligence and electoral institutions.

He also stressed the need to protect electoral technology and digital infrastructure against cyber intrusion, sabotage and malicious interference.

On communication, the Minister warned that failure by institutions to provide timely and accurate information could create opportunities for misinformation to flourish.

“In today’s information environment, silence often creates space for misinformation, and timely, accurate, coordinated public communication is essential to sustaining public confidence before, during and after elections,” he said.

He urged the media, technology companies, civil society organisations, educational institutions and citizens to take collective responsibility for maintaining a fact-based information environment.

Musa also called on political parties and candidates to reject violence and recognise that political competition should not be treated as warfare.

“Political parties must place national interest above partisan advantage, and candidates must recognise that political competition is not warfare,” he said.

The Minister urged young Nigerians to resist attempts to recruit them as instruments of electoral violence, saying their energy and talents should instead be deployed towards strengthening democracy.

He assured that the Ministry of Defence would work with the Office of the National Security Adviser, Armed Forces of Nigeria, Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, Defence Intelligence Agency, Independent National Electoral Commission and other relevant institutions to ensure that their constitutional responsibilities during the electoral process are discharged professionally and impartially.

Musa said the ultimate objective should extend beyond merely conducting another election to ensuring that Nigeria emerges stronger, more united and confident in its democratic institutions.

“There is something even greater that must emerge victorious in 2027: Nigeria herself,” he said.

He added: “Long after campaign slogans have faded, after ballots have been counted and after winners have been declared, this nation must remain united, secure and confident in the strength of her democratic institutions.”

The Minister commended Blueprint Newspapers for convening the national conversation, describing responsible journalism as an important pillar of national security and democratic accountability.

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