Military And 2019 Polls

Ostensibly jolted by avalanche of criticisms and condemnations from local and international communities over the unprofessional and inglorious roles of military personnel in the nation’s electoral process, Nigeria’s military high command, last week, inaugurated a quasi-legal body to henceforth prosecute soldiers who engage in partisan politics or caught to be subverting subsequent elections in the country.
Christened Special Standing Court Martial, the body, according to military authorities, would try all military personnel who run foul of military ethics before, during and after elections.
Addressing the First Quarter Conference of the Chief of Staff of the Nigerian Army, the Chief of Army Staff (CAS), Lt Gen. Turkur Buratai, warned soldiers to steer clear of the 2019 general elections or face severe sanctions in accordance with global best military standards.
“The Nigerian Army must remain apolitical and professionally responsive in the discharge of its constitutional duties. GOCs and field commanders are, therefore, warned that anybody that runs foul of his professional ethics will be appropriately dealt with”, Buratai warned.”
He continued: “You must remain non partisan and be guided by stipulated code of conduct and rules of engagement in the discharge of your duties, particularly in the coming general elections … and I have directed for a special court martial as prelude to the forthcoming general elections.”
The Tide, indeed, welcomes the move by the military to put severe measures in place to checkmate the excesses of its personnel in the electoral process, especially as the nation approaches the 2019 general elections.
We hope the same measure will be taken by the Nigerian Navy, the Airforce, the Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and other para-military agencies not only to safeguard our democracy but also to build the citizens’ trust and confidence in the Nigerian security agencies as professional and non-partisan institutions.
It is worrisome that 19 years after Nigeria returned to civilian rule, the country is still being haunted by military tendencies.
The recent statistics released by the United States government point to the fact that the greatest challenge plaguing the Nigerian nation is largely electoral violence and subversion of democratic norms and values.
We recall that in previous elections in Nigeria, soldiers and police officers were seen and caught on camera subverting electoral process in favour of their preferred candidates or parties. This is an anathema by all standards.
It is against this backdrop that we urge the Nigerian Army to save the country the embarrassment caused by its inglorious involvement in partisan politics. We expect soldiers to always abide by their professional calling as well as respect constitutional authority in line with the country’s Constitution.
We want to remind the rank and file of the Nigerian Army, especially the service chiefs, that their loyalty is first to the Nigerian State and its people, and not to any particular political party or candidate.
While we hope that the Nigerian Army will have the will to discipline or sanction erring personnel who violate electoral laws or embarrass the nation through their actions, we also expect the Presidency to exhibit utmost neutrality and sincerity in the use of the military in election matters, particularly in the forthcoming 2019 polls.
Like the United States Consul General in Nigeria, John Bray, rightly noted, recently, free, fair, transparent and non-violent elections remain the veritable means of attracting foreign investments to the country. And indeed, the rest of the world, not just Nigerians alone, are waiting to see this achieved in the 2019 general elections in the country.