Opposition Rejects INEC Plan to Deploy Military at Polling Units for 2027 Elections

INEC raises the alarm

Opposition parties are pushing back hard against any plan to put soldiers at polling units for the 2027 general elections, arguing it would intimidate voters and damage the credibility of the entire process.

The reaction follows a warning from INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), who told the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, during a visit to his Abuja office on Wednesday that growing violence across the country is a direct threat to holding free and fair elections.

“The scale of insecurity across the various parts of Nigeria presents a threat to the conduct of fair elections,” Amupitan said. “We must carry out total security risk analysis ahead of the election, and this will enable us to identify potential flashpoints and deploy appropriate strategies to mitigate risks.”

Amupitan pointed to several pressure points: ongoing party congresses, upcoming primaries under the new Electoral Act 2026, governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun, and the presidential election set for 16 January 2027. He also stressed that people in IDP camps and persons with disabilities must not be shut out of voting.

Opposition says no to soldiers

IGP Disu assured the INEC chairman that threat assessments and intelligence mapping were already underway. “I assure you that the police will enforce electoral laws firmly and professionally,” he said, adding that ballot snatchers, vote buyers, and anyone who attacks electoral officials would be arrested and prosecuted.

That was not enough to calm the opposition.

Dr. Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, said election security belongs to civil agencies, not the military. “The police have not been well equipped. It’s an internal matter, and the police should have been well equipped to take care of internal insecurity, while the soldiers would take care of the border,” he argued.

Labour Party spokesman Ken Asogwa was even blunter: “Soldiers are trained for war, not to man polling units.” He added that elections are civic exercises and militarising them is a step backwards.

The PDP’s Interim National Working Committee, through spokesman Ini Ememobong, said INEC should worry more about restoring public trust than about securing polling units with troops. The New Nigeria People’s Party called on the Federal Government to deal with insecurity before the elections rather than considering military deployment as the answer.

Already making an impact

The security conversation is not just theoretical. The Social Democratic Party has already announced it is moving its national convention from Abuja to Bauchi State, citing security and logistical concerns. It is an early sign that the 2027 election season will be shaped as much by safety considerations as by political calculations.

INEC faces a difficult balance. The chairman is right that insecurity is a real problem — no one disputes that. But the opposition is also right that soldiers at polling booths sends a terrible signal. A lot will depend on how well the police and other civil security agencies are equipped and deployed in the months ahead. If they are not up to the task, the pressure to bring in the military will only grow louder.

Sources: The Punch, Politics Nigeria, Ripples Nigeria