In response to allegations that it is meddling in the country’s political process and the elections, the Nigerian military has dismissed fears over a military coup and has reaffirmed its commitment to the ongoing elections and sustenance of the nation’s democracy. In a statement by the defence spokesman, Major-General Chris Olukolade, yesterday, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) acknowledged the tension that had been generated in certain quarters with regards to the roles of the military in the ongoing political activities and recent developments especially in relation to the electioneering programmes in the country. “Accordingly, it has become necessary to reassure all citizens that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remains committed to its duty in working to ensure the sustenance of peace, law, order and stability in the country before, during and after the forthcoming elections. “It is also important to reassure Nigerians that the military will while working with all security agencies and stakeholders in the process, remain professional, apolitical and non-partisan in all operations or activities related to this crucial exercise,” Olukolade said. He said the armed forces was quite conscious of the fact that apart from its primary constitutional role of defending the country from external aggression and internal insurrection, it also has the responsibility of providing support in aid of civil authority such as the need to provide complementary security arrangements to protect the country’s electoral process. “It is on record that the military has successfully lived up to its responsibility while discharging this duty during previous elections without equivocation. “In this instance, all military personnel have been reminded and warned to remain ever conscious of their service oath and solemn commitment to protect the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria even while remaining loyal to constituted authorities in the country. “No excuse will be acceptable for any act of commission or omission that tend to compromise the law or the electoral process as well as decent conduct or judgment on the part of any service personnel while discharging duties related to elections in any part of the country,” the defence spokesman said. While expressing appreciation to Nigerians who have remained calm and understanding of the peculiarity of the security challenges being managed by the armed forces in the country, Olukolade unequivocally assured Nigerians that the armed forces recognised the fact that the nation’s larger interest and her security are sacrosanct and beyond any political expediency or ulterior consideration. “It is therefore advised that Nigerians should also endeavour to insulate the military from partisan politics and retain their confidence in its neutrality and sense of patriotism at this critical point. “Indeed, the leadership, in particular, the Chief of Defence Staff and the service chiefs, being products and beneficiaries of the nation’s democratic processes themselves, continue to cherish highly, the nation’s democracy. “They will therefore not engage in, condone or encourage any act that has capacity to undermine or subvert any aspect of the democratic processes.” Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday sought a probe into a secretly-recorded audio tape on how the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State might have been rigged with the help of the military. APC, at a news conference in Lagos, however warned against a further use of the military in election or civil matters, saying such a role is reserved for the police and not the military. Speaking at the news conference, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, said: “As you must be aware by now, a secretly-recorded audio tape of a meeting in Ado-Ekiti of some officials of the PDP, the Jonathan administration and the Brigade Commander of the 32 Artillery Brigade, Akure, on the eve of the June 21 governorship election in Ekiti State, is now in the public domain. “Also in the public domain is a video interview, with Sahara Reporters, of Capt. Sagir Koli, the Intelligence Officer of the 32 Artillery Brigade, who secretly recorded the details of the meeting. “These audio and video tapes detail how some top officials of the federal government and the PDP, including then Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanokoro, Police Affairs Minister Jelili Adesiyan, PDP chieftain Iyiola Omisore, then PDP governorship candidate Ayo Fayose and Brigade Commander Brig.-Gen. Aliyu Momoh, among others, used the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to rig the governorship election in Ekiti,” he said. Muhammed said: “As you can hear and see, the army played a major role in the rigging of the June 21 2014 governorship election in Ekiti State. As Capt. Koli said, a total of 1,006 military officers and men were deployed in Ekiti, as part of a so-called Special Task Force, for the election. Soldiers were deployed to each of the 16 local governments with the express instruction to ‘work’ with the PDP contacts in the local governments.” Continuing, he also noted that APC recalled that it warned of the “nocturnal movements of Obanikoro in Ado Ekiti, the special flights to Akure Airport apparently ferrying money to be used for the Ekiti election, the over-militarisation of Ekiti State ostensibly to provide security for the election but now obviously to stifle the process and rig the election, and the fact that an army captain and his troops virtually arrested and detained Governor Rotimi Amaechi by the roadside while he was on his way to Ado-Ekiti for our party’s final rally ahead of the election. With another election coming, and the military used to postpone the elections by six weeks, APC said it was obvious that the PDP and the Jonathan administration have not learnt their lessons, and that they would continue to abuse the military – a national institution and a symbol of national unity – just so they can win elections at all cost. “Already, soldiers armed to the teeth have been deployed to key opposition stronghold apparently to intimidate the opposition. “The PDP and the Jonathan administration have left no one in doubt that they will again abuse the military and use soldiers to rig the forthcoming elections, in spite of the ruling by a Federal High Court in Sokoto that it is unconstitutional to deploy the military to monitor or provide security during elections. The court also ordered that such deployment must stop. To the best of our knowledge, the federal government has not appealed that ruling.” In view of this background, however, APC urged the “National Assembly to launch a probe of the role that the military played in the Ekiti election because of the danger it portends for our democracy. They must invite everyone who featured in that audio of shame to testify about the rigging of Ekiti poll, using the military “We want to remind the presidency and the PDP that the military is a national institution that is far too important as a symbol of our national unity to be toyed with or dragged into partisan politics. We will also remind the military that its loyalty should be to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not to any party or individual, whoever that person may be. “We will like to warn, for the umpteenth time, that the military should not be used for policing duties during elections. That role should be left for the police and the civil defence. Is it not curious that over 1,000 troops could be made available for election duty at a time the military was battling the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east? Is it any surprise then why this battle has not achieved much in six years? We will also like to alert Nigerians to the fact that the Jonathan Administration and the PDP have perfected the plot to again use the military to thwart the aspirations of Nigerians for a change that will usher in a purposeful government. Already, the social media is alight with information that the military is meeting in Kaduna with a view to working out the modalities to help the PDP at the polls. This sends the wrong signal to the polity as well as the international community about the role of the military in Nigeria’s elections “We want to assure Nigerians that we will ensure that this issue will not be swept under the carpet, and that those who are found to have played an ignominious role in what is now definitely a plot to rig the Ekiti election will be brought to justice.”