Kayode Shopekan
DIRECTOR of Public Relations, of the Nigerian Army (NA), Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, ahead of Saturday, November 6, Anambra gubernatorial elections has declared that the military unit remains apolitical.
He made the clarification in a statement on Thursday night.
The spokesman debunked the rumors making the rounds that soldiers were escorting fake voters into Anambra State. He accused conflict merchants of plotting to discredit the Army’s constitutional role of aiding civil authority to provide internal security when called upon to do so.
Nwachukwu accused mischief makers of sharing a video on social media, alleging that soldiers were escorting buses filled with fake voters into Anambra State.
The director said contrary to the misleading claims, the buses in the video on social media were actually conveying INEC permanent and adhoc staff for the election.
“The Federal Ministry of Information and Culture has corroborated this position. We urge the general public to please disregard the report, as it is clearly a misinformation.
“Our duty in the state at this time is purely security-related and in support of the Nigeria Police, which is the lead security agency in the security architecture of electioneering,” he noted.
Nwachukwu stressed that troops are guided by extant provisions of Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) Personnel Code of Conduct during elections as well as the provisions of Armed Forces Act CAP A20 LFN 2004.
The Army vowed to continue to operate along these lines to ensure that peace and security reign in the country.
“We will remain apolitical and very professional in deeds and conduct for the growth and development of democracy in Nigeria”, the statement added.
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