Borno Police, Civic Group Partner to Promote Peaceful Elections
By Ali Mohammed Zanna, Maiduguri
The Borno State Police Command has called for stronger collaboration with civil society organisations, media practitioners and digital content creators to promote peaceful elections and tackle electoral misinformation.
The Commissioner of Police, Borno State Command, CP Naziru Abdulmajid, made the call when he received members of the Borno Know Your Candidate (BKYC) Initiative during an advocacy visit to the Police Headquarters in Maiduguri.
The visit was aimed at introducing the initiative to the police command and exploring areas of collaboration to promote credible, transparent and inclusive elections in Borno State.
The convener of BKYC, Ambassador Ahmed Shehu, said the initiative was a non-partisan, citizen-centred platform designed to encourage issue-based politics, informed voting and accountability among elected leaders.
He explained that the initiative, which conducted a pilot programme in 2023, had been expanded for 2026 to include a Candidate Commitment Tracker, wider digital engagement and mechanisms for monitoring electoral promises after elections.
Responding, Abdulmajid welcomed the initiative and emphasised the importance of voter education in strengthening democratic participation.
He urged the group to collaborate with the command and its partners on a proposed Peace Accord Initiative, describing BKYC as a platform that could contribute to promoting peaceful electoral engagement.
The police commissioner also stressed the need to work with social media influencers and digital content creators to counter fake news and misinformation while improving public access to credible electoral information, particularly among young people.
The meeting also discussed the need for sustained public sensitisation on peaceful campaigns, responsible use of social media and lawful participation in the electoral process.
Participants further highlighted the dangers and legal consequences of vote buying and the unlawful sale of Permanent Voter Cards.
The engagement brought together representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress, National Orientation Agency, SMK Radio, PACHE and Borno Youth Advocate, among other stakeholders.
The participants agreed on the importance of cooperation among security agencies, civil society organisations, media practitioners, political stakeholders and citizens in creating an environment conducive to peaceful elections.
The BKYC Initiative reaffirmed its commitment to promoting informed electoral choices, issue-based political engagement and accountability in governance.
