- Odibo Victory
The Armed Forces of Nigeria have reaffirmed their commitment to neutrality, professionalism and respect for human rights in the conduct of the 2027 General Elections.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Olufemi Oluyede, gave the assurance on Thursday at a seminar themed “The Role of the Armed Forces of Nigeria Personnel in Conducting Free, Fair and Credible Elections: The 2027 General Elections in Perspective,” organised by the Defence Headquarters Department of Operations in Abuja.
Represented by the Chief of Training, Defence Headquarters, Rear Admiral Abolade Ogunleye, Oluyede described the seminar as timely, citing the country’s current security challenges and the need to ensure a peaceful electoral process.
He said the Constitution mandates the Armed Forces to suppress insurrection and provide aid to civil authorities when required, stressing that personnel must remain neutral and professional throughout the election period.
“As we approach the election period, it is imperative that personnel are constantly reminded of their roles to ensure strict neutrality, professionalism and adherence to international human rights provisions,” he said.
The CDS added that the seminar would help align commanders and staff officers with their responsibilities while reinforcing compliance with the Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement for Operation Safe Conduct 2027.
He also referenced the recent off-cycle and by-elections in Ekiti, Kano, Kogi, Rivers, Nasarawa, Enugu and Ondo states, noting that the professionalism displayed by troops contributed to peaceful and incident-free elections.
Oluyede urged participants to apply lessons from previous elections to strengthen inter-agency collaboration, improve rapid response and protect law-abiding citizens while remaining apolitical.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, represented by the Commission’s Director of Legal Services, Al-Hassan Umar, said electoral integrity and security are inseparable.
He noted that while INEC is constitutionally responsible for conducting elections, the Nigeria Police Force remains the lead agency for election security under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), with the Armed Forces providing support only when required by law.
Amupitan warned that election security now extends beyond physical violence to include insurgency, banditry, kidnapping, cyber-enabled interference, misinformation and disinformation.
He identified continuous joint planning, election-specific training, intelligence sharing, adherence to the code of conduct, and professionalism and neutrality as key priorities for the 2027 polls.
He added that INEC remains committed to conducting inclusive elections, with special attention to persons with disabilities, the elderly, pregnant women and other vulnerable groups.
According to him, the credibility of the 2027 General Elections will depend not only on efficient electoral administration but also on the professionalism, neutrality and constitutional compliance of all institutions involved in the electoral process.
Amupitan reaffirmed that INEC has no preferred candidate in any election, stating that its loyalty remains solely to the Constitution, the Electoral Act and the will of the Nigerian people.
He also commended the Armed Forces for their patriotism and pledged continued collaboration to ensure peaceful, credible and inclusive elections.