By Kennedy Sheyin
The Nigerian Police Force, Nigerian Navy and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) have pledged to work together to ensure safety, fairness and credibility in the 2027 general elections.
The pledge was made at a one day seminar organised by Naval Base Abuja themed “The Roles of the Armed Forces in Conducting Free, Fair and Credible Elections” on Monday in Abuja.
Representing the Nigerian Police, ACP Akaniyene Edwards, Department of Operations, FCT command said that the support provided by the armed forces was key to the overall success of elections in Nigeria.
“Though safety during elections is primarily the responsibility of the Police, the military brings added manpower to help cover every corner of the country during elections.
“The presence of the military is deployed to deplete external forces that may seek to destabilise the process of the elections”, he said.
Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) after the seminar, he said that the Police was laying down groundwork to improve the efficiency of service in the upcoming 2027 election.
“We are training and retraining our men. We expose them to the Electoral Act and all the regulations guiding elections in the country.
“We are also engaging with stakeholders, community leaders, youth leaders and civil societies, and the engagements have always been very fruitful.
“The whole essence is to have a situation where the election process is seamless, voters come out to vote without fear of intimidation or harassment, and at the end of it all, the election will not only be fair, but safe and credible,” he added.
He urged personnel deployed on election duty to remain impartial, apolitical, professional and avoid use of force except when absolutely necessary.
The Commander, Naval Base Abuja, Commodore Oluseyi Oladipo, said that the military would support the democratic process by facilitating the necessary conditions to conduct free, fair and credible elections.
According to the commander, with the elections fast approaching, Nigeria had placed high priority on improving electoral practices over the years in line with the established convention.
“After 27 years of uninterrupted democratic governance in Nigeria, it has become imperative to interrogate the role of the armed forces in this regard within the established constitutional, legal, and institutional frameworks.
“Against this background, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Adm. Idi Abbas has mandated commands, formations, establishments, and bases to organise seminars of this nature,” he said.
Oladipo said that the seminar aimed to foster greater awareness and clarity among personnel of the Nigerian Navy who would be deployed for electoral duties.
He reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigerian Navy and the Armed Forces to the preservation of democracy in Nigeria.
Representing the NSCDC, Assistant Commandant of Corps(ACC) Stephen John, said that the rights of Nigerians to vote must be protected at all costs, describing it as a democratic fundamental.
He said that the armed forces and other security agencies must work together to protect lives and property, protect the rights of the voters and ensure the security and transportation of sensitive electoral materials.
John expressed optimism that if all law enforcement agencies worked together during the election, it would result in a peaceful, credible, free and fair election. (NAN)
Edited by Yakubu Uba