Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has said the Armed Forces should not be routinely deployed during elections, stressing that military involvement must remain exceptional and only occur when security conditions demand it.
Amupitan made the remarks at a seminar organised by the Defence Headquarters on preparations for the 2027 general election. The event focused on the role of the Armed Forces in supporting free, fair and credible elections.
INEC urges proactive election security
The INEC chairman called on security agencies to identify and neutralise threats before they disrupt the electoral process.
He explained that the Constitution assigns INEC responsibility for conducting elections, while the Nigeria Police Force remains the lead agency for election security. Consequently, the military should only assist civil authorities when exceptional circumstances require additional support.
Military must remain politically neutral
Amupitan urged members of the Armed Forces to remain politically neutral whenever they support election security operations.
“The Armed Forces serve the Nigerian State and the Constitution—not any political party, candidate or individual,” he said.
According to him, military personnel must demonstrate professionalism, impartiality and respect for the Constitution in every election assignment. He added that their conduct should strengthen public confidence in both the electoral process and the Armed Forces.
New security threats require stronger coordination
Amupitan warned that election security now extends beyond physical violence.
He listed insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, organised political violence, cyber-enabled interference, misinformation and disinformation among the threats capable of undermining elections. Furthermore, he said intelligence-driven operations, effective inter-agency collaboration and timely deployment of security resources would help address those risks.
INEC reaffirms commitment to credible elections
The INEC chairman said the commission remained committed to conducting transparent, inclusive and technology-driven elections in line with the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
He also reaffirmed that INEC had no preferred candidate in any election. Instead, he said the commission’s loyalty remained with the Constitution and the freely expressed will of the Nigerian people.
Defence Headquarters backs neutrality
Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, also stressed the importance of neutrality ahead of the 2027 general election.
Represented by the Chief of Defence Training, Rear Admiral Abolade Ogunleye, he urged military personnel to uphold professionalism, comply with human rights standards and remain apolitical throughout election operations.
Oluyede added that lessons from recent off-cycle elections would strengthen coordination among security agencies and improve preparations for the 2027 general election.
Read also: 2027: INEC says hoarding PVCs cannot influence election results
