Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, has charged naval and other military personnel to remain apolitical, non-partisan and professional in the discharge of their duties ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that any conduct capable of undermining the service’s core values would not be tolerated.
Abbas gave the charge on Saturday while addressing personnel at the Third Quarter Route March 2026 in Abuja, represented by the Director of Manning at the Naval Headquarters, Rear Admiral Kolawole Oguntuga. He said the Armed Forces retained a solemn responsibility to support the democratic process, emphasising that the support provided by military personnel during elections must remain within the limits of the law and duly authorised directives as provided by the Constitution. He demanded utmost professionalism from the personnel, tasking them to avoid statements, associations and any other activity that could negate the service’s core values and bring the Navy to disrepute. “The unity and discipline displayed during this Route March are particularly significant as the nation approaches the 2027 General Elections, especially in light of the electioneering campaign season,” Abbas said. “We must remember that the Armed Forces have a solemn responsibility to remain professional, preserve national stability, and support the democratic process strictly within the limits of the law and duly authorised directives. Every personnel must, therefore, remain strictly apolitical, non-partisan and professional, avoiding statements, associations, and activities that could negate the Service’s core values and bring the NN into disrepute.”
The route march, which commenced at about 5:30 a.m. and took off from the A.Y. Roundabout, terminated at the Naval Base Parade Ground in Asokoro. Abbas described the exercise as more than a routine fitness activity, saying it demonstrated the discipline, resilience, teamwork and operational readiness required of naval personnel. He said the increasingly complex security environment required personnel to possess physical endurance, mental alertness and professional competence to respond decisively to evolving threats. He noted that the Navy’s responsibilities had expanded beyond traditional operations at sea, with personnel increasingly deployed alongside sister services and other security agencies in counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency operations. “Personnel, in most cases whether at sea or ashore, operating singly or jointly, would operate for prolonged periods in demanding terrain, under intense pressure, and in rapidly changing tactical conditions,” he said. “Success in such deployments therefore depends not only on weapons, platforms and training, but also on the physical fitness, mental resilience and adaptability of the individual officer or rating.”
The Naval Chief’s warning comes amid a broader push by Nigeria’s military leadership to ensure that personnel deployed for election security duties remain neutral as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, scheduled for January 16, with the governorship and state assembly elections following on February 6. The Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede, has directed members of the Armed Forces to maintain strict neutrality, professionalism and respect for human rights, saying personnel deployed for election security duties under Operation Safe Conduct 2027 must remain apolitical and comply strictly with the Code of Conduct and Rules of Engagement guiding military participation in election-related operations. The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, has also urged members of the Armed Forces deployed for election security to maintain absolute political neutrality, declaring that “the Armed Forces serve the Nigerian State and the Constitution, not any political party, candidate or individual.”
The Navy has taken concrete steps to institutionalise these commitments. In September, Abbas directed naval establishments and bases across the country to organise seminars aimed at educating officers and personnel on their roles and code of conduct during the 2027 general elections. The seminars, organised by the Naval Base Abuja, brought together the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, who pledged inter-agency synergy to ensure safety, fairness and credibility in the elections. A former lawmaker and chairman of the occasion, Onofiok Luke, stressed that the military must cultivate respect for the democratic process and resist attempts by politicians to draw them into partisan activities. He said personnel deployed on election duty must remain impartial, apolitical and professional, and avoid using force except when necessary.
The political context in which Abbas issued his warning is one of heightened tension. The 2027 election is shaping up to be one of the most consequential in Nigeria’s recent history, with President Bola Tinubu seeking a second term on the All Progressives Congress platform, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar contesting on the African Democratic Congress ticket, and former Anambra Governor Peter Obi flying the flag of the Nigeria Democratic Congress. The campaign has already been marked by reports of political violence, including attacks on opposition convoys in Benue and Delta states, and accusations from the African Democratic Congress that security agencies have failed to investigate attacks on opposition members across at least nine states. In this environment, the conduct of security personnel will be a critical factor in determining whether the elections are accepted as credible.
The Naval Chief also used the occasion to reiterate the need for personnel to renew their commitment to national service. He said personnel must maintain physical fitness to meet the demands of the profession, uphold institutional standards in fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities and remain operationally prepared to respond whenever duty calls. “At all times, we must remember that our sacred oath to uphold our professional standards in all aspects of operations is vital to keeping faith with our responsibility to defend our territorial integrity,” he said. For the Navy, the message from the Third Quarter Route March is unambiguous: the 2027 elections will test not only the professionalism of individual personnel but the institution’s capacity to remain above the political fray. As Abbas put it, every personnel must remain strictly apolitical, non-partisan and professional, avoiding any activity that could bring the Navy into disrepute.
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