Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed fear over emerging plot to destabilise the rescheduled presidential elections, adding that there were also plot to leave the Presidential candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar, vulnerable during the election.
According to him, it was reliably gathered that the ruling party is allegedly working in connivance with the Army authorities alongside thugs and selected militants, who will be dressed in army attire and mandated to pose as real soldiers with the aim of causing mayhem in selected opposition strongholds during Saturday’s election.
In a statement signed on Thursday in Abuja, Frank said latest information which was released by a top General in the Army suggested that “a Special Masked Squad will be deployed to Adamawa with the sole purpose of ensuring that voters are intimidated and disenfranchise, while the order to hide under the guise of the unrest in the North-east will be used to blow the situation out of proportion and eventually compromise the security architecture leaving the PDP candidate vulnerable, and open for any planned attack aimed particularly on the PDP Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
“Suffice to note, that the Press Conference of the Nigerian Army held at the instance of the Army Chief with some of its commanders confirms our earlier fears, that the Army Chief has clearly taken a position as regards the forthcoming elections. Issuing a false statement on the advice given to the army by the PDP candidate and requesting an apology is an all time low for a revered government institution like the Nigerian Army.
According to the statement, the PDP candidate merely highlighted a Court decision where the military was barred from polling units in the wake of the 2015 general elections, and reiterated that the military had no business with carrying out unlawful orders base on lay down provisions in the electoral act.
“General Buratai must be reminded that he has a duty in protecting the territorial intergrity of the Nigerian nation and not being outrightly partisan as exhibited in his press briefing to top commanders yesterday. He must also be aware that any plan to assist the ruling party in subverting the wishes of the people, by way of compromise or Favouratism will have dire consequences as no one is larger than the Nigerian nation. Moreover power is transient and the atrocities of today carried out with impunity will surely have it’s payback time.
“Nigerians must be allowed to choose who governs them as enshrined in the constitution and any attempt to alienate that right will ultimately be resisted by all peace loving Nigerians. I must therefore remind Gen Buratai that we are in a democracy and anything short of being democratic will be met with stiff resistance and the outcome would lay solely on his actions and inactions.
“Finally let me also alert Nigerians that we’re aware that there’s been insurmountable pressure on the electoral umpire (INEC) to still carry out staggered elections in some selected states with a view to compromising the elections despite INECs assurances of its readiness in ensuring total election compliance in the 36states.
“The Director Operations may have already been compromised, having been pressured by the conduit of the ruling party (Mrs Amina Zakari) serving as an eye for the ruling party. I would therefore kindly advise the INEC chairman not to avail himself to this ungodly wicked act, but to rather maintain his integrity as Nigerians and the international community will hold him directly responsible in the event of subverting the will of the people.”
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