THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected the routine deployment of troops of the Armed Forces during elections, insisting that the involvement of the military should remain exceptional and only be considered when prevailing security conditions require their support.
News Point Nigeria reports that the electoral body maintained that the deployment of the military should arise only where existing security challenges necessitate the Armed Forces’ intervention in aid of the civil authorities and strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and other applicable laws.
The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made the position known on Thursday through the Commission’s Director of Legal, Al-Hassan Umar, while delivering a keynote address at a seminar held at the Army War College in Abuja.
According to the INEC Chairman, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly defines the responsibilities of all institutions involved in election management, stressing that the Nigeria Police Force remains the lead agency responsible for election security.
“As both a teacher and practitioner of the law, permit me to begin by reaffirming the constitutional framework governing election security in Nigeria,” he said.
“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 mandated to organise, undertake and supervise elections, the responsibility for election security rests primarily with the Nigeria Police Force under the framework of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
“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.
“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 stated.
The electoral commission reiterated that while the military has an important constitutional role in supporting civil authorities during periods of heightened security threats, election security should ordinarily remain the responsibility of the police, with military deployment reserved only for exceptional circumstances where it becomes absolutely necessary.
