DINING WITH THE BARREL INTERROGATING THE ROLES OF THE NIGERIAN MILITARY IN THE 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS

Abstract

The need to ensure adequately secured environment before, during and after the electoral processes is an important component in the organization of free, fair, transparent and credible election. This, notwithstanding election as a civil matter falls behind the constitutional role of the military since their indelible roles are pigeonholed in the maintenance of peace and stability. Consequent upon the above, there are some insinuations expressed in some quarters that the military should confine itself with the constitutionally assigned roles instead of meddling into politics. This study sets out to interrogate the circumstances that led to the involvement of military in the conduct of 2019 elections in the country with a view to determining its implication in the Nigerian democratization process. To realize the set objective, this study adapts qualitative research method and data for the study were collected mainly from documents and analyzed through logical induction, using the theoretical prism of the structural functionalism. It argued that deployment of the military to the polling units and strategic locations all over the federation during the 2019 general elections created fear and insecurity among the electorates and opposition political parties. The study recommends among other things; that the constitutional base for not inviting the military should be maintained to avoid over stretching the military to the elasticity point and possible politicization of the reputation of the military; secondly, the electorates should be allowed to freely choose their most preferred candidates without creating a false political environment by the government in power.