The forum was as timely as it was informative focusing as it did on not just preparedness for the elections but specifically, the potential for violent extremism and cyberterrorism to negatively impact the elections. Violent extremism is commonly understood as the physical attacks that lead to deaths and destruction of property and known by its shorthand – terrorism. The two – violent extremism and cyberterrorism – are referred to as twin challenges because they are intertwined and self-reinforcing. It has indeed been noted that violent extremism rears its ugly head during electioneering period as the case was in the 2015 Nigerian elections when Boko Haram went on the rampage. These and other examples should provide impetus for guarding against the possibility of the twin challenge of violent extremism and cyberterrorism to subvert our elections.

Source: Daily Nation June 24, 2017 21:45 UTC