INEC says soldiers should not be routine at elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission has said soldiers should not become a normal feature of Nigerian elections, warning that military involvement should be limited to cases where civil authorities need extra security support.

INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan gave the position in Abuja on Thursday through the commission’s Director of Legal, Al-Hassan Umar, during a seminar on election security. Daily Trust and Punch both reported the same statement.

Amupitan said the police remain the lead agency for election security, while the armed forces may assist in exceptional situations such as protecting strategic assets, securing critical infrastructure, helping with the movement of sensitive election materials, or supporting civil authorities during serious security threats.

He said that arrangement was meant to preserve the civilian character of elections while still allowing security support when conditions demand it.

The comments come months after an earlier dispute over possible military presence at polling units, reported here. The latest statement is INEC’s direct explanation of how it wants the roles of the police and military separated during elections.

Sources: Daily Trust, Punch