Military must remain apolitical, professional posture during 2027 elections — Former Lawmaker
By Our Reporter
Former federal lawmaker, Rt. Hon. Onofiok Luke, has urged Armed Forces personnel to remain apolitical, professional and neutral before, during and after the 2027 general elections.
Luke made the call on Monday in Abuja while delivering a paper at a seminar on the role of Armed Forces personnel in conducting free, fair and credible elections.
He said the military had a critical role in securing the electoral process but must operate strictly within constitutional and legal frameworks.
According to him, military personnel deployed for election duties must avoid partisan conduct, intimidation of voters and interference in the electoral process.
Luke said the Armed Forces’ involvement in elections had remained contentious because of public concerns over perceived intimidation, partisanship and excessive use of force.
He, however, noted that Nigeria’s peculiar security challenges had made the deployment of military personnel necessary in some parts of the country.
He said insecurity in several communities could make the presence of Armed Forces personnel unavoidable to guarantee the safety of voters, electoral officials and materials.
Luke urged the military to strengthen public confidence through professionalism, neutrality, stakeholder engagement and strict adherence to the Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement.
He also called for clearer legal boundaries defining the specific responsibilities of the Armed Forces during elections.
“Armed forces personnel must remain apolitical during elections. Their neutrality must be evident and open to all political stakeholders,” he said.
Luke further recommended regular training of personnel on civil conduct, human rights and protection of voters during electoral duties.
He said the military must cultivate respect for democratic processes and resist attempts by politicians to lure personnel into partisan activities.
The former lawmaker also advocated arrangements to enable military personnel to exercise their constitutional right to vote, regardless of their duty locations.
He said this would reinforce the perception that members of the Armed Forces were also citizens with a stake in Nigeria’s democratic development.
Earlier, the Commander, Naval Base Abuja, Commodore Oluseyi Oladipo, said the seminar was organised to deepen personnel’s understanding of their constitutional responsibilities during elections.
He said the seminar was particularly timely with the 2027 general elections approaching, adding that personnel might be required to support civil authorities during the polls.
The Commander said the initiative was in line with the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas, Command Philosophy of maintaining a mission-ready force dedicated to excellence and service to the nation.
He said the seminar was designed to be interactive, educative and analytical, while reinforcing the Nigerian Navy’s commitment to preserving democracy.
He added that lessons from the seminar would complement existing provisions of the Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement for Armed Forces personnel deployed for electoral duties.
