The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, not to drag the military into politics.
The main opposition party expressed worry that under the reign of the army chief, the military has become an arm of a political party.
The party was reacting to statement by Buratai where he declared that the military would obey President Muhammadu Buhari’s order to shoot on sight ballot box snatchers in rescheduled national elections this Saturday.
A statement on Wednesday by Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP National Publicity Secretary, pointed out that Buratai’s allusion to its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as well as his threats to officers and ranks to execute the order by President Buhari is not only an aberration of extant laws but a recipe for crisis.
The statement reads: “Buratai is counseled to note that the loyalty of the military is to the state and that the President lacks the powers, under our laws, to deploy soldiers for the conduct of elections.
“Our party urges Gen Buratai to concentrate on his very demanding assignment of protecting the territorial integrity of our nation and ending insurgency rather than dabbling into partisan politics at the risk of our national cohesion.
“It is imperative to state that by trying to drag the military to participate in the February 23 Presidential elections, President Buhari plots to suspend our constitution, assume the position of an emperor, trigger unrest, subvert our electoral process and derail our democracy”.
The party directed President Buhari to the judgment of the Federal High Court, Lagos on March 23, 2015, wherein the court, presided over by Justice Ibrahim Buba, directly outlawed the deployment of troops in the conduct of elections in our country.
It also urged Buhari to avail himself of the subsisting judgment of the Court of Appeal, which on February 15, 2015, held that the President has no powers to deploy soldiers in the conduct of elections.
“The PDP further counsels President Buhari and Gen. Buratai to end their rationalizing of military option, as the courts have summarily dismissed their arguments that soldiers are needed to guarantee peaceful elections.
“It may interest President Buhari to know that the judgment was sequel to a suit filed by the APC Leader in the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, seeking a declaration that deployment of soldiers during elections is illegal and unconstitutional.
“In case, President Buhari is not aware, as usual, the court directly held that “the Armed Forces have no role in elections” and if soldiers must vote, they must do so in their barracks,” the statement added.
The PDP therefore cautions President Buhari not to allow his desperation to push him to use the military against innocent Nigerians, whose only demand is for a free, fair and credible election.
It also urged the international community to note the roles being played by President Buhari, his Federal Executive Council and Gen. Buratai in our electoral process.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
