The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed that the routine deployment of the military during elections is not appropriate, stressing that the Nigeria Police Force remains the primary agency responsible for election security.
Speaking on Thursday at the Army War College in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, represented by the Commission’s Director of Legal, Al-Hassan Umar, said military involvement in elections should only occur under exceptional security circumstances and in line with the Constitution.
According to him, the Constitution clearly defines the responsibilities of institutions involved in the electoral process, with INEC mandated to conduct elections while the police lead election security operations through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
He stated that the Armed Forces should only be deployed when prevailing security conditions require military support to assist civil authorities and such deployment must strictly comply with constitutional and legal provisions.
The electoral body maintained that safeguarding elections is best achieved by adhering to the constitutional roles assigned to each institution, with military participation remaining an exceptional measure rather than a routine practice
