By ABIODUN LAWAL

The Nigerian Army has assured citizens that its personnel will maintain strict neutrality and professionalism, and adherence to constitutional mandates when called upon to support civil authorities during the 2027 elections.

The Commander, 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Brig.-Gen. Friday Onu, gave the assurance on Thursday in Abeokuta at a sensitisation lecture on the conduct of the Nigerian Army personnel during the 2027 elections.

Onu stated that the engagement was designed to re-anchor personnel on their constitutional roles, ensuring they remain apolitical, non-partisan, and disciplined before, during, and after the polls.

He explained that the primary responsibility of military personnel deployed for election duties was to support the lead internal security agencies in maintaining a safe, peaceful environment for voters.

According to him, the session focused on the defence headquarters’ code of conduct for armed forces personnel during elections, relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, and strict adherence to rules of engagement.

“The Nigerian Army remains apolitical, non-partisan, and professional at all times.

“Army leadership maintains zero tolerance for political bias, operational overreach, and indiscipline. Any breach of guidelines will not be tolerated,” Onu warned.

He expressed appreciation to the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 81 Division, for approving the exercise, describing it as a testament to the military leadership’s commitment to operational readiness and discipline.

In his keynote address, the Special Guest of Honour, the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, commended the Army hierarchy for extending the training to sister security agencies.

Gbadebo noted that no single security institution could independently handle the complex challenges of a national election, emphasising that joint engagements build synergy and strengthen inter-agency collaboration.

He urged participants to internalise the directives, noting that public confidence in the armed forces depended on their conduct under pressure.

He added that the ultimate objective of election security was to safeguard an environment where citizens could exercise their franchise freely and without intimidation.

“Our collective conduct must strengthen public confidence and demonstrate that the security institutions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria remain loyal to the constitution and to all Nigerians,” he said.

Col. Olusegun Oladuntoye (Rtd), the Guest Lecturer, noted that the essence of the seminar was to re-emphasise the role of the military in a democracy.

“Democracy is about 27 years old in Nigeria and we have seen the role played by the Nigeria military in strengthening our territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Nigeria state,” he said. (NAN)