CSO warns against deploying soldiers for Kogi, Bayelsa polls
The Centre for Liberty has appealed to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai to jettison any plans to deploy soldiers for the forthcoming Kogi and Bayelsa states governorship elections.
Addressing journalists in Abuja after submitting a petition to the chief of army staff, Comrade Deji Adeyanju, noted that getting involved in the murky waters of politics has continued to undermine as well as taint the solid professional reputation of the Nigerian Army built over decades through enormous sacrifices while serving national, regional and global interests.0
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“We are here to make an urgent appeal to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai over the Kogi and Bayelsa states elections. We are making the appeal in line with several provisions of the law that there should be no deployment of soldiers for the election because even when we had elections in the 36 states of the federation, the police was adequately deployed.
“Therefore, there should be no need for any form of deployment. We also draw your attention to the fact that the army should not get involved in the murky waters of politics as it would further discredit the image of the Nigerian Army. We want the election to be free fair and credible.
“You can recall that for this singular reason, you once set up a panel to investigate the conduct of soldiers during the 2014 governorship election in which some officers were found wanting and sanctioned.
“As we approach the Kogi and Bayelsa states gubernatorial elections, we believe it is paramount to remind the Nigerian Army that its involvement in the 2019 general elections left indelible scars and traumas in the hearts of the most Nigerians,” said Adeyanju
Speaking further, he recalled that the Nigerian Army has been helped to ward off pressure being mounted by politicians to get involved in elections through several court judgements, which between 2003 and 2015 emphatically, declared the deployment of soldiers during elections in Nigeria as completely unconstitutional and illegal.
He urged Lt. Gen. Buratai to use his extension period granted him by President Muhammadu Buhari to mark a turning point for the army to regain the trust of Nigerians.
“We believe that history will look favourably on the Nigerian Army if it chooses to honour the Nigerian constitution by refusing to be used as a tool in the hands of politicians, and refusing to deploy our gallant troops during the forthcoming governorship elections,” Adeyanju added.
