The Nigerian Army has directed troops deployed for the August 15 Osun State governorship election to remain politically neutral and stay away from polling units unless their intervention becomes necessary to address security threats.

The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Auwalu Mahmuda, gave the directive while addressing officers and soldiers deployed for election security operations at the Engineer Construction Command (ECC), Ede, Osun State.

Mahmuda warned the troops against political partisanship, intimidation of voters and any conduct capable of undermining the credibility, transparency and peaceful conduct of the election.

He reminded the personnel that their deployment was in line with the constitutional responsibility of the Nigerian Army to provide aid to civil authorities when necessary, stressing the need for them to operate strictly within their mandate.

The GOC said the military operation, codenamed Operation SAFE CONDUCT, was designed to support the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), which remains the lead agency responsible for election security in the country.

According to him, soldiers deployed for the exercise are expected to provide only outer-cordon security and should not interfere with the voting process or the activities of election officials.

He said troops should only enter polling units or intervene when their presence becomes necessary to respond to security threats or when requested by the appropriate authorities.

Mahmuda urged the personnel to maintain professionalism, discipline and respect for the rights of voters throughout the operation.

He also cautioned them against any action that could be perceived as favouring a political party or candidate, stressing that the military’s responsibility was to provide a secure environment for the election while allowing the police and other relevant civil authorities to perform their statutory duties.

The GOC further urged the troops to conduct themselves in a manner that would strengthen public confidence in the security arrangements and ensure that the democratic process was not disrupted.

The August 15 governorship election is expected to involve heightened security deployment across Osun State, with security agencies tasked with maintaining law and order before, during and after the poll.