(Nigerian Army. Photo by Premuim Times)
The Nigerian Army has assured the INEC, that it will provide enough security for the 2027 general elections.
It says it will protect the process from threats while staying politically neutral.
The assurance came on Wednesday from Major General Abubakar Sadique Muhammad Wase, General Officer Commanding 1 Division and Commander of Sector 1 of Operation Fansan Yamma.
He gave it when INEC’s Acting Electoral Commissioner, Abba Yahaya, visited the division’s headquarters in Kaduna.
A statement from Colonel Abubakar Abdullahi, Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for 1 Division, said Wase described the Army as committed to supporting civilian institutions in carrying out their constitutional duties.
Wase said troops will act professionally and stay apolitical during the process.
Their main job will be to guard the outer perimeter of election sites.
He said the Army is committed to keeping the polls peaceful while remaining strictly neutral.
He also said security arrangements have made every local government area in Kaduna State accessible and safe for voting.
He asked INEC to step up voter education and to make sure its ad hoc staff understand the roles of each security agency on election duty.
He said that would improve coordination and prevent misunderstandings on polling day.
Yahaya said the visit was part of INEC’s talks with key stakeholders in the state as election preparations pick up.
He praised the working relationship between INEC and security agencies, especially the Army, and called for closer cooperation to ensure peaceful and credible elections.
Kaduna’s political parties signed a peace accord in October, promising to campaign peacefully and focus on issues.
That pact followed a two day election security meeting organised by the CLEEN Foundation, where stakeholders flagged gaps in security coordination and named some communities as at risk of election violence.