2019 Poll Our Involvement To Provide Peaceful Atmosphere -Army

The Nigerian Army, today, said that the only role it would play in the 2019 general elections was to provide a peaceful atmosphere.

Army said this in a statement signed by Colonel Sagir Musa, the Acting Director Army Public Relations on its website.

Part of the statement read, “Our Rules of Engagement and Code of Conduct have not assigned any political role to the Army in this regard. The Army’s involvement starts and ends with the provision of a peaceful and secure environment for the conduct of 2019 General Elections.”

The Army was reacting to an allegation that one of its soldiers was involved in political activities in Rivers State. The Army said the allegation was untrue.

Musa said, “The attention of the Nigerian Army has been drawn to an allegation of involvement of one of its officers in politics in Rivers State which was found to be untrue.

“The Nigerian Army would have ordinarily ignored such baseless insinuations but for the unsuspecting members of the public who may be misled to believe the unsubstantiated allegations of political involvement of a military officer.

“The Army has made it sufficiently and consistently clear that none of its personnel will be involved in political campaigns, escort of VIPs for political missions and above all, aiding or supporting any political party as has been circulated in official circulars and statements.

“The Chief of Army Staff, COAS, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai has consistently called on soldiers to uphold the tenets of military professionalism and be guided by the rules of Engagement and the constitution of Nigeria toward sustaining a responsive army in the discharge of its constitutional roles.

“Therefore, any insinuation or assertion against this open declaration is not only mischievous but politically motivated with the intent to tarnish the reputation of the Army which has been built on discipline and obedient to civil authorities under the leadership of the Chief of Army Staff.”

The security outfit went on to warn Nigerians to “always ignore information attributed to the Nigerian Army that are contrary to its core values of professionalism, respect for others and open declaration on the rules of engagement.”