The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reiterated its opposition to the routine deployment of military personnel during elections, insisting that the armed forces should only be involved under exceptional security circumstances.
Naijaonpoint reports that the commission said military intervention in election security should be limited to situations where prevailing threats require support for civil authorities in line with constitutional provisions.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, stated this on Thursday in Abuja through the commission’s Director of Legal, Al-Hassan Umar, while delivering a keynote address at a seminar organised by the Army War College.
Amupitan said the Constitution clearly assigns responsibilities to institutions involved in the electoral process, stressing that the Nigeria Police Force remains the primary agency responsible for election security.
He said, “As both a teacher and practitioner of the law, permit me to begin by reaffirming the constitutional framework governing election security in Nigeria.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly delineates the responsibilities of institutions involved in the electoral process.”
He explained that while INEC is constitutionally empowered to conduct and supervise elections, election security falls primarily under the responsibility of the police.
“INEC is constitutionally mandated to organise, undertake and supervise elections, while the Nigeria Police Force remains the lead agency for election security under the framework of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security,” he stated
The INEC chairman maintained that the deployment of troops should not become a standard feature of elections.
According to him, the armed forces should only be called upon when the security situation exceeds the capacity of civil authorities to maintain law and order.
“The role of the Armed Forces is exceptional rather than routine. Their deployment arises only where prevailing security conditions require military support in aid of the civil authorities and strictly in accordance with the Constitution and other applicable laws,” Amupitan said.
