PoliticsAugust 15, 2026

militarisation

mil-ih-tuh-ruh-ZAY-shun

Definition

The process of increasingly relying on military personnel, equipment, or tactics to manage domestic affairs, specifically civil elections.

Etymology

Derived from the Latin 'militaris' (relating to soldiers), the suffix '-ise' indicates a process or state, and '-ation' turns it into a noun. It entered English in the 19th century to describe the act of organizing or preparing a country for war.

In the news

The article uses the term to describe the problematic trend of using armed soldiers to police polling units, which the author argues intimidates voters and compromises democratic integrity.

INEC and demilitarisation of elections

Read the full article ↗

The Sun Nigeria

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