Presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has cautioned security personnel not to interfere with the political process as such a development falls outside their constitutional provisions.
Atiku, who gave this warning yesterday in Jalingo, Taraba State, during the PDP presidential campaign rally, emphasised the duty of security personnel, being a former security personnel.
Addressing the teeming party supporters at the rally, Atiku explained that the duty of security personnel is to ensure that the electorate and voters are all safe and that the process is seamless.
The former Vice President also warned that any government that draws the police, army, civil defence into politics does not mean well for the personnel.
The presidential candidate, who said that security agencies have no business interfering with the political process, as it is beyond their constitutional responsibility, added that their work is to make sure that there is peace, law and order.
He said: “Our Security services you have no business to interfere with our political process, that is not your work. Your work is to make sure that there is peace, law and order.
“It is not your business, it is not your business to interfere in our political process. This is not your constitutional responsibility at all.
“Your constitutional responsibility is to make sure that we are all safe. Any government that draws the security agencies, the police, the army, the civil defence that government is doing more harm to your career, is doing more harm to your patriotism and more harm to yourself.
“Don’t accept that; don’t get involved, allow us to choose the leaders we want to choose and to elect the people we want to elect, it is not your business whom we elect at all.
“So I want to caution the security services not to get involved because there are many of us who are also security officers, so don’t come and tell us bullshit.”
He assured Taraba residents that he will end insecurity which has become a major challenge in the region, complete Mambilla Hydro Power Electricity and usher in an enabling environment for job creation.
“I want to promise you that the much awaited Mambilla Hydro Electric Power, we will complete it so that you will not have problem of power whatsoever.
“I also want to promise you, your federal roads will be taken care of. Taraba is one of the most endowed States in this country, we are going to exploit it, the natural resources which is in abundance in Taraba so that you can have prosperity, so that we can bring employment, so that we can create jobs for our teaming men and women.”
He equally reminded them that the North East is closest to the Presidency now than ever, charging them not to allowed the opportunity to slip away.
“And this is the first time since 1999, when you are going to have a president from this state, you are going to have a president from this zone, so do you want to take it to another state, to another zone. No! God bless you,” he said.
Also speaking, the National Chairman of the Party, Prince Uche Secondus alleged that President Buhari is planting the military on regions perceived to be against the government, adding that security agencies have the responsibility to defend the country.
“We have issue of Boko Haram in Borno. They should tackle that issue. Buhari, don’t use the military to terrorise regions that you don’t like. Enough is enough.
“The Nigerian military is to defend our territory’s integrity. We shouted aloud that foreigners were entering into our country. They have no response to it because we have evidence.
“We will continue to hammer that the election must be free and fair. We will continue to address these issues until that day. We believe that when you conduct free and fair election and we elect a credible candidate that is the only way to bring peace in this country.
“We believe that anyone that wins from a free and fair process, that person will be the choice of Nigeria. But if you manipulate, if you rig this election, the PDP and others will not accept it. INEC, be warned.”
The Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku said that Atiku has the solution to insecurity and unemployment that has ravaged the region and assured that the state would be delivered to PDP in all the elections.