Army Is Preparing Soldiers to Be Politically Neutral in 2027, Because Apparently We Need to Remind Them

The Nigerian Army has started preparing its personnel for the 2027 general elections, with a rather important instruction: remain politically neutral, respect the law, and do not behave as if you have secretly collected a party membership card. The General Officer Commanding 81 Division, Major General Adebayo Babalola, gave the warning at a sensitisation seminar in Lagos, where officers and soldiers were reminded about constitutional responsibilities, human rights, lawful use of force and proper conduct during election duties.

Honestly, it is good that we are starting early.

Because Nigerian elections have a special way of making everybody suddenly develop political interests.

The Army says personnel deployed for election duties must remain neutral, professional and disciplined, while commanders are expected to ensure their troops understand the laws governing searches, arrests, use of force and treatment of civilians. The military also reminded everyone that the police remain the lead agency for election security.

Which sounds very straightforward.

But considering Nigeria's electoral history, telling security personnel to remain neutral ahead of an election is a little like telling Nigerian politicians to stop promising things they cannot afford. Necessary, but we would really like to see how it goes.

The timing is also interesting because 2027 is already beginning to look less like an election and more like a national group project where nobody trusts anybody else to do their part.

Politicians are forming coalitions. Governors are fighting governors. Presidential candidates are already calculating who will get 25 per cent where. Lobbyists are allegedly discussing millions of dollars in America. And somewhere in all of this, the Army is being told, “Please, just mind your business and protect the process.”

To be fair, the military's message is exactly what Nigerians should want to hear. The Defence Minister has similarly stressed that the Armed Forces have no partisan interest and owe their allegiance to the Constitution and Nigerian people.

The bigger issue, however, is not whether the Army can say the right things at a seminar.

It is whether every officer remembers those words when an actual election arrives, politicians start making phone calls and somebody important suddenly wants “assistance.”

Because neutrality is very easy when everybody is sitting inside a lecture hall.

The real examination begins when the polling unit opens.

And Nigerians will be watching.