Abuja: The Armed Forces of Nigeria on Thursday reaffirmed their commitment to neutrality, professionalism and adherence to human rights in the conduct of the 2027 General Elections. The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, emphasized this during a seminar focused on the role of military personnel in ensuring free, fair, and credible elections.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the seminar, organized by the Defence Headquarters’ Department of Operations in Abuja, was timely given the current security challenges and the necessity for an environment conducive to peaceful elections. Gen. Oluyede, represented by Rear Adm. Abolade Ogunleye, highlighted the constitutional mandate of the Armed Forces to suppress insurrection and assist civil authorities when necessary.
Gen. Oluyede stressed the importance of military personnel maintaining strict neutrality, professionalism, and adherence to international human rights standards as the election period approaches. He noted that the seminar aimed to align commanders and staff officers with their roles, emphasizing adherence to the Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement for Operation Safe Conduct 2027.
He cited recent off-cycle and by-elections in various states, noting that the professional conduct of troops contributed to seamless and incident-free polls. The defence chief urged participants to apply lessons learned to strengthen inter-agency cooperation, ensure rapid response, and protect law-abiding citizens while remaining apolitical. He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his strategic guidance and support to the Armed Forces.
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, represented by Director of Legal Services, Al-Hassan Umar, highlighted the inseparable nature of security and electoral integrity. Amupitan emphasized INEC’s constitutional mandate to organize elections, with the Nigeria Police Force being the lead agency for election security.
Amupitan outlined five strategic imperatives for the 2027 elections, including continuous joint planning, intensified election-specific training, intelligence sharing, adherence to the code of conduct, and unwavering professionalism and neutrality. He reiterated INEC’s commitment to inclusive elections, focusing on vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, the elderly, and pregnant women.
He affirmed that the credibility of the 2027 elections would depend on the efficiency of electoral administration and the professionalism, neutrality, and constitutional fidelity of all institutions involved in the electoral process. Amupitan reassured that INEC had no candidate in any election and its allegiance was to the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and the Nigerian people’s will. He praised the Armed Forces for their patriotism and pledged further collaboration to ensure peaceful, credible, and inclusive elections.