With the presidential election just thirteen days away, the Nigerian military has denied report of its alleged connivance with a presidential candidate to sabotage the election process.
The military described the plot being allegedly masterminded by some senior military officers in cahoots with a presidential candidate as ”wicked and very malicious propaganda.”
In a statement on Saturday, as obtained by Theliberationnews, the military high command said the report of some military officers meeting with a presidential candidate to derail the forthcoming elections was a wicked propaganda as it expressed utter disbelief that some political actors could belittle themselves into joining agents of destabilisation to heighten the tension in the country.
The statement issued by Acting Director, Defence Information, Brigadier General, Tukur Gusau, read in part: “The Armed Forces of Nigeria notes with dismay the story being peddled around by some unscrupulous elements alleging that some military officers met with a Presidential candidate with the aim of disrupting the general elections and setting the country on fire. The wicked and very malicious propaganda indicated that a so-called Thursday meeting is plotting a Coup d’etat to establish unconstitutional order.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria is disheartened that even politically exposed persons can denigrate themselves into joining agents of destabilisation and violence in making false claims just to heighten tension in the polity.
Assuring that the Nigerian military would not be part of any coup plot to derail the presidential election as alleged, Gusau: “It needs to be stated that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is a professional military that is loyal to the constitution of the Federal Republic and will never be part of any evil plot against our democracy. Besides, the Military remains apolitical and neutral in the current political process and will not engage in the alleged shenanigans. The Armed Forces of Nigeria will never be part of any ignoble plot to truncate our hard-earned democracy.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria hereby warn that those who engage in fabricating and spreading unfounded misinformation will be invited by the appropriate law enforcement agencies to substantiate their claims.”
