• Stockpiling PVCs won’t affect free, fair, INEC assures
• GRIP eyes 2027 as INEC conducts final verification for registration

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Military High Command has reaffirmed the commitment of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to professionalism and strict adherence to constitutional provisions in support of the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Olufemi Oluyede, gave the assurance yesterday in Abuja during a one-day seminar organised by the Defence Headquarters Department of Operations, themed “The Role of the Armed Forces of Nigeria in the 2027 General Elections.”

The seminar brought together senior military officers, security agencies, election management officials, resource persons and other key stakeholders.

Represented by the Chief of Defence Training, Rear Admiral Abolade Ogunleye, the CDS described the seminar as timely, noting that the nation’s evolving security environment and the increasing tempo of political activities ahead of the 2027 General Elections underscore the need to continually educate and prepare Armed Forces personnel for election support operations.

Oluyede stressed that the constitutional responsibility of the Armed Forces remains to defend the territorial integrity of the nation, suppress insurrection and provide aid to civil authorities whenever called upon, adding that military personnel must continue to discharge these responsibilities with the highest standards of professionalism, discipline, impartiality and respect for human rights.

He warned that personnel deployed for election security duties under “Operation Safe Conduct 2027” must remain apolitical and strictly comply with the code of conduct and rules of engagement guiding military participation in election-related operations.

Oluyede noted that the Armed Forces had consistently demonstrated professionalism during previous electoral engagements, including recent off-cycle and by-elections conducted in Ekiti, Kano, Kebbi, Rivers, Nasarawa, Enugu and Ondo states.

He further stated that the success of Operation Safe Conduct 2027 would not only be measured by the absence of violence but also by strict adherence to constitutional principles, impartiality and respect for the rights and dignity of all Nigerians. He urged commanders, staff officers and participants to internalise the knowledge gained from the seminar to effectively operate in an increasingly complex security environment.

MEANWHILE, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that no amount of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) stockpiling would affect the delivery of free and fair elections to Nigerians, assuring that votes would count in the 2027 general elections.

The commission, while explaining the new amended Electoral Act, promised to do all within its powers to ensure that the 2027 general elections reflect the wishes of residents of Kwara State.

Head, Voters Education and Publicity, Kwara State INEC, Dr Adejumo Peter, on Wednesday, hinted at this in Ilorin, at a seminar organised by the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

Peter mocked some politicians stockpiling PVCs, saying: “They are still living in the past. INEC has done a lot so that people cannot use others’ PVCs to vote in an election. That is why politicians have resorted to vote-buying.

“Many of the politicians are still living in the past as stocking and carting away PVCs cannot ensure electoral victory,” he added.

According to him: “INEC in Kwara will follow the rules and procedures as laid down by our commission. We will ensure that the elections are done on a one-man, one-vote basis. At the end of the exercise, the outcome of the elections will reflect the will of the people.

IN another development, the Grassroots Initiative Party (GRIP), yesterday, expressed optimism that it will soon secure full registration from INEC, as the commission conducts its final verification.

It described the party as a movement established to give ordinary Nigerians, especially young people, a genuine political platform free from the influence of wealthy political elites and godfathers.

The Founder and National Chairperson of GRIP, Nze Kanayo Chukwumezie, disclosed this in Abuja, while receiving an INEC verification team, led by Reginald Omorege, who visited the party’s national secretariat to assess its compliance with the requirements for registration.

The visit marks what the party described as the final stage of the registration process after it received provisional approval from INEC last year and was granted access to the commission’s online portal to upload the required documents.

According to Chukwumezie, the verification exercise demonstrates that the party had successfully met the documentation requirements and is now awaiting INEC’s final decision.