Following warning over worsening insecurity across the country raised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which it said could affect the smooth conduct of free, fair and credible 2027 General Elections, there are fresh concerns being raised over the antics and sincerity of purpose of the Professor Joash Amupitan-led electoral body.
Accordingly, the opposition political parties have vehemently rejected the warning of INEC which they perceived as part of the agenda to deploy military personnel for election duties.
The opposition stressed that election security is and should remain the responsibility of civil authorities, particularly the police and other security agencies.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), had at a meeting with the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Tunji Disu, in Abuja, said that persistent violence, electoral malpractice and security threats could undermine democratic stability if not properly addressed.
Amupitan particularly noted that insecurity across several parts of the country posed a major challenge to the successful conduct of the elections scheduled for January 16 and February 6, 2027.
In the words of Amupita; “In Nigeria, our electoral system has faced numerous challenges over the years, ranging from malpractices to threats of violence and vote trading that undermine the confidence of the electorate.
“These challenges not only affect the outcome of our elections, but also pose significant risks to our national security. It is imperative that we address these concerns with utmost seriousness,” he said.
Amupitan therefore stressed the need for collaboration between INEC and security agencies as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, including party congresses, primaries and off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
He urged security agencies to ensure that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and persons with disabilities are not disenfranchised during the elections.
In his remarks, IGP Disu assured Nigerians that the Nigeria Police Force has commenced intelligence gathering and nationwide threat assessments to secure the electoral process.
He said; “The police would adopt preventive policing measures, strengthen inter-agency collaboration and ensure the protection of electoral personnel and infrastructure. We will enforce electoral laws firmly and professionally.
“Persons involved in ballot snatching, vote buying, voter intimidation, destruction of electoral materials or attacks on electoral officials will be arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law,” he assured.
However, despite the assurances, opposition political parties have expressed apprehension over the plan by INEC to deploy the military for election duties, warning that such a move could increase tension and compromise public confidence in the electoral process.
Speaking on the matter, the National Publicity Secretary of the Interim National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Comrade Ini Ememobong, stressed that INEC’s neutrality posed a greater threat to credible elections than insecurity.
Ememobong therefore urged INEC to focus on transparency, fairness and public trust rather than advocating military involvement, saying; “Calls for the deployment of military personnel ahead of elections should not be encouraged, considering past experiences where such actions heightened tension,” he said.
Similarly, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr Yunusa Tanko, stressed that election security should be handled by the police and other civil agencies and not the military.
Tanko particularly questioned whether the government could use insecurity as a reason to manipulate or delay the election process, saying that Nigerians know that the APC-led government is seriously worried that Mr. Peter Obi is very likely to be on the ballot.
He further said; “So, we have to be careful of possible traps being laid for the opposition”.
Also speaking, Ken Asogwa, National Publicity Secretary of Labour Party (LP) described the idea of soldiers at polling units as inappropriate for a democratic process.
In his words; “Soldiers are trained to fight wars and defend the territorial integrity of the nation and not to supervise civic exercises like elections. Agencies such as the police and civil defence corps are better suited for election-related duties”.
In its own position, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) through its National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson specifically warned against the use of the military during elections, and called on the Federal Government to urgently and sincerely improve the nation’s security situation before 2027.
NNPP noted that the government still had enough time to address insecurity if it was genuinely committed to conducting peaceful elections.
