Opposition Rejects Military Deployment for 2027 Elections

Opposition parties in Nigeria have expressed strong disapproval of the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) plan to deploy military personnel at polling units during the 2027 general elections. This reaction follows remarks by INEC Chairman Prof.

Joash Amupitan, who raised alarms about rising insecurity across the country, emphasizing the need for proactive security measures to protect voters and electoral officials. The Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, assured that the police are already gathering intelligence to assess threats ahead of the elections.

However, opposition leaders, including Dr. Yunusa Tanko of the Obidient Movement and Ken Asogwa of the Labour Party, argue that election security should be managed by civil security agencies rather than the military, which they believe could undermine the electoral process.

They stress that the focus should be on restoring public confidence in the electoral system, with the New Nigeria Peoples Party urging the federal government to address insecurity without resorting to military deployment.