The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, on Monday urged the Army to stay away from polling units during the forthcoming general elections because the power of the military as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended) does not empower them to monitor elections.
Jega spoke at a town hall meeting in Abuja organised by Reinvent Media in conjunction with Ford Foundation and Kukah Centre, where he responded to questions on the commission’s preparedness for the March 28 and April 11 elections. The INEC boss maintained that the military can only intervene by mounting security at the polling units, if there was any breakdown of law and order.
He said, “The Army are not supposed to be visible at any polling unit except there is a breakdown of law and order and they have been invited by the Inspector-General of Police.” “They (military) are there so that if there is a breakdown of law and order which the Police are unable to contain, then they could be rapidly deployed to be able to assist. “The Army is not supposed to be visible or to be around any polling unit unless there is a breakdown of law and order and they have been invited by the Inspector-General of Police. “As far as we are concerned, the role of every security agency as it affects the electoral process is to add value but within the constitutionally-defined roles,” Jega added.
TODAY
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