Jonathan kicks against deployment of military personnel for elections

•Integrity of election determined by leadership in charge —Obi

AHEAD of the 2027 general elections, former President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday kicked against the deployment of military personnel for election duties, saying that the military has its primary responsibility of protecting the nation’s integrity

Jonathan spoke in Abuja at the launch of some books on internal and election security, written by a former Inspector-General of Police, Dr Solomon Arase.

He stated that in many other countries, particularly developed ones, personnel of the Air Force and Army are only used to transport election materials to dangerous areas, not by providing security at polling units as it is done in Nigeria.

He pointed out that elections should be primarily managed by the police and the Independent National Electoral Commission and not members of the armed forces.

“Having been the president of this country before, when you talk about internal security, it’s an area that touches my heart. And especially when you talk about election security, again, it’s an area that touches my heart. One gets worried when it comes to Nigerian elections.

“Here, we overstretch the army. In most other countries, the military doesn’t get involved in the day-to-day management of elections. Some countries use them to manage strategic systems, such as transporting election materials to dangerous areas.

“But manning polling booths and staying around polling stations—military personnel are never used for such duties,” he stated.

He cited examples from Botswana and Senegal, where elections are conducted with minimal security interference, allowing the electorate to vote without intimidation.

According to him, in Botswana, police officers manage election security while the military secure government facilities, and in Senegal, polling stations are run by electoral officials with police stationed outside, intervening only when necessary.

“I just came back from Botswana some months back during the election. It’s a very small country with a small population, so almost all the police officers were used for the election.

“What the military does is that those regular duties that the police officers were doing, including securing the police headquarters, the military took over. The military high command only posted military officers to secure government assets and facilities.

“That’s what they do. And you don’t hear stories. Go to a country like Senegal, which is a West African country, their election last year.

“We talk about technology, technology, and still, with the technology, we still have problems. And I said that they use the simplest form of voting. In fact, there was a table there.

“They put the ballot box for every candidate. And you, the voter, you go and you just go and pick. Of course, you must pick from all the candidates. They just put a long table. Every candidate has his ballot papers put there.

“You don’t see any police. The electoral management officers, polling agents and so on were just sitting there and watching. The police were outside because they used secondary schools and primary schools as polling stations.

“Then, each of the classrooms has different polling units. So the police stay here. If there is an issue, they will call them in. Otherwise, you don’t see police wherever you go. That is a standard in so many countries; but here, we fully do the wrong thing.”

Also speaking at the occasion, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, emphasized that the integrity of elections is determined by the leadership in charge.

According to him, free and fair elections are possible when the right people oversee the process.

Reflecting on his experience during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, Obi shared how he ensured an impartial electoral process in his state.

“I can’t comment on election policing, but I will say it depends on who is in charge at the time. I have experienced a free and fair election.

“During my second tenure as governor under President Jonathan, I approached him and said, ‘Mr. President, I don’t want a single vote that doesn’t belong to me. Let the election be free and fair.’”

He further recounted how he took action when members of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) attempted to interfere in his state.

“When we talk about elections, it all comes down to the people involved. If the right person is in charge, we’ll have free and fair elections. But if we continue in a system where electoral malpractice is the norm, crime will persist—starting with politicians failing to do the right thing,” he added.

On security, Obi argued that tackling corruption among public officials would significantly reduce crime rates.

“If we want to talk about security, we must first stop stealing as public officers. Criminals learn from those in power. Even the police will perform their duties better when there is accountability.

“Election policing is simple if we have leaders who are committed to fairness rather than manipulation,” Obi said.

Jacob Segun Olatunji