The Nigerian Army has alleged that politicians have planned to disrupt the Governorship and House of Assembly election scheduled for Saturday using the farmers/herders crisis in some parts of the country.
Pointing out that the claims were based on intelligence report, the Nigerian Army said, they had also planned to use armed political thugs and ethnic militias to instigate violence among other means.
The Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, made the disclosure on Wednesday while addressing principal staff officers and commanders of the Nigerian Army.
He however said that the military would be not spare anyone found causing the disruption of the electoral process.
It would be recalled that ahead of the commencement of the general election on February 23, 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari had issued an order to the military to deal “ruthlessly” with anyone found to be engaged in acts capable of disrupting the electoral process.
Said Buratai at the meeting: “Recent security threat assessment and analysis of the coming elections showed that politicians have made plans to use all means available to truncate the peaceful conduct of the elections.
“There are indications of their intent to take advantage of and to use the farmers/herders crisis, armed political thugs and ethnic militias to perpetrate acts of violence including bombings. Some of them also intend to infiltrate domestic staff of political opponents, employ mercenaries to carry out acts of assassinations, use the social media for smear campaigns, hate speeches and spread fake news in a bid to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the elections. We must not allow them to succeed.”
Buratai said the military would enforce all guidelines in support of the Nigeria Police Force to ensure the peaceful conduct of the elections in line with its constitutional roles.
He warned the soldiers not to rest on their oars, saying no room should be given to those who might be determined to undermine the electoral process.
“These forthcoming gubernatorial and state assembly elections are very crucial. These are elections that touch on the interest of the people at the grassroots and could likely be volatile in nature.
“During the course of the recently concluded elections, troops of the Nigerian Army were able to make arrests of persons who perpetrated acts of electoral offences. These suspects have been handed over to the police for prosecution. I want to state, and categorically warn that the Nigerian Army will not tolerate any acts that will undermine national security. This time around we shall be tough on those who plan to rig or disrupt the electoral process,” he added.
