Defence Hqtrs vows to ensure peaceful, credible polls

•Army: 95 per cent of personnel ’ll be deployed

THE Armed Forces yesterday distanced themselves from the verbal altercations and threats from the country’s major political parties and actors, as campaigns to garner votes heightened across the nation.

They, however, maintained that those plotting to scuttle the elections should desist.

The Armed Forces said they have responsibility to ensure that the elections are conducted in a peaceful and credible environment, where no citizen would be disenfranchised as a result of security issues.

Speaking on behalf of the Armed Forces, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) asserted that none of the political parties or actors exchanging hot words was speaking its mind when it (military) alleged that some local and foreign elements are plotting to scuttle the forthcoming general elections.

The DHQ spoke on a day the Army said 95 per cent of its troops would be engaged in security duties during the forthcoming general elections.

It added that almost 40 per cent of the troops to be deployed would be in the Northeast.

But, Acting Director of Defence Information Brig. Gen. John Agim, who addressed reporters at the DHQ in Abuja on the position of the military concerning the general elections, maintained that the Armed forces would remain neutral, impartial and strictly adhere to professional code of conduct before, during and after the elections.

Brig. Gen Agim said: “The military is not speaking anybody’s mind as regard plans by some elements within and outside the country to scuttle the elections, and no political party or politician is speaking the mind of the military.

“We are only talking to our own people on the need for total peace throughout the period of the election. The reason being that if there is any problem, it is the military that will be called upon to maintain peace and orderliness.”

“The military that was around in 2015 is still the same military. Political parties may come and go, but the military remains. If there are issues among the political parties, that is not our responsibility. Ours is to ensure that nobody is disenfranchise because of security problem.”

The Defence spokesman was flanked at the conference by the Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen Sani Usman, the Air Force Spokesman, Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, who was represented by his deputy, Group Captain Wapp Maigida and the Director of Information, Nigerian Navy, Navy Commodore Suleman Dahun and Director, Defence Intelligence Brig-Gen. K Olajide added that troops have already being deployed in various on-going operations across the country to maintain the peace and ensure that elections hold in a peaceful atmosphere across the country.

He said during elections, no military personnel would be allowed around the polling centres as they have been told to go and vote in mufti.

He said: “In a few days’ time the nation will be conducting the presidential election and elections into other key political offices in the country.  It is on this note that the Armed Forces of Nigeria wish to re-affirm their neutrality, impartiality and strict adherence to professional code of conduct before, during and after the general election.

“Therefore, we would like to reiterate that the Armed Forces will carry out their constitutional duties with zero-tolerance to unprofessional conduct.  No military personnel are expected to fraternise with any political parties and associations.

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“While it is pertinent to state that military personnel have the right to perform their civic duty to vote as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, they must approach their polling units in mufti, devoid of any military accoutrement.

“Any military personnel, who is not on essential duty that is found on military uniform on election day, will be arrested and face the full wrath of military justice system.”

But, Army spokesman Brig. Gen. Sani Usman said in a statement that it was not true that the troops were being paid some allowances in other to sway their votes for a particular party as being alleged in the social media.

Brig Gen Usman said: “The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to some insinuations on various social media platforms that the recent payment of uniform allowance to officers and soldiers was done to sway their voting towards a particular political party. This is not true. The payment of uniform allowance was started in 2016 to assist troops deployed on Operation LAFIYA DOLE as uniform upkeep and maintenance…

“We, therefore, implore all well-meaning Nigerians to dissociate themselves from such fake and unwarranted information calculated to smear the Nigerian Army.”