Lieutenant-General Olufemi Oluyede, Nigeria’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS), has voiced his strong support for a legislative proposal that seeks to allow military and security personnel to vote before general elections while on active duty.
The endorsement came during a meeting on Thursday at Defence Headquarters in Abuja, where the Senate Committee on Army, led by Senator Abdulaziz Yar’adua, engaged with military leadership to discuss a series of pending bills, including the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
Describing the initiative as “long overdue,” Oluyede praised the Senate for prioritizing the voting rights of deployed personnel. “Our role during elections is to create a secure environment for Nigerians to vote. Ironically, many of us in uniform hardly get the opportunity to vote ourselves,” he said.
The COAS reflected on his own limited voting history. “In my entire career, I’ve only voted twice,” he shared, underscoring the logistical challenges service members face during elections.
The proposed amendment seeks to introduce a seven-day early voting window for frontline personnel, including members of the armed forces, police, journalists, and National Youth Service Corps members who are often deployed during election periods.
Oluyede welcomed the urgency of the bill and pledged the army’s full cooperation. However, he also called for “greater clarity on the verification process to ensure the early voting system is secure and credible.”
He advised that public communication around the bill should be enhanced. “There should be clearer public messaging around this bill to avoid misunderstandings and to ensure alignment across all sectors,” he said.
During the meeting, Senator Yar’adua also presented two additional pieces of legislation:
The Armed Forces Trust Fund (Establishment) Bill, 2025, and
The Armed Forces Act (Repeal and Re-enactment) Bill, 2025.
Yar’adua highlighted that almost two million critical service workers are routinely excluded from voting under the current framework. He appealed for institutional backing from the military and described the reform agenda as a pathway to modernize Nigeria’s electoral and defence systems.
“These bills are essential for strengthening our democratic and security institutions,” Yar’adua said. “We need your partnership to ensure they succeed.”
The conversation reflects a growing awareness of the need to balance national duty with civic participation and ensure every Nigerian—regardless of their assignment—has the opportunity to vote.
