The Coalition
Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) has commended the Nigerian Army for setting
up a panel to investigate allegations made against some of its personnel for
colluding with certain identified politicians to perpetrate rigging in the last
gubernatorial elections held in June and October, 2014, in both Ekiti and Osun
States respectively.
To have instituted this panel, the Nigerian
Army under the able administration of President Buhari, has demonstrated its
determination to restore the virtually battered image of our once globally
respected and highly professionalized military.
It will be recalled that early this year,
Nigerians were apparently held spellbound as we listen to a taped conversation
in an alleged meeting between some army personnel and some politicians which
included Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, Mr. Jelili Adesiyan, the then Minister of
State for Defense, the Minister of Police Affairs respectively and the
gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in the said election, Ayodele Fayose of the
PDP, on the eve of the gubernatorial election, during which rigging plans were
being perfected. Despite early denials and threat of court action by all the
alleged participants in the meeting, none of them could muster the audacity to
contest the allegation in court nor could any of them summon the courage to
press libel charges against their accusers; a development that clearly
underscored their culpability.
Speaking on behalf of the Coalition, its
Executive Chairman, Comrade Debo Adeniran, said that “Under normal
circumstances and in a saner and decent society, after the expose with its
attendant immeasurable height of embarrassment to our great nation, moreso as
the attention of the whole world was on our country at the time with the
general elections knocking on the door and considering the enormous damage done
to the image and profile of our army and the nation in general, by the expose,
one would have expected that a high powered enquiry be set up immediately to
probe the source and veracity of the tape and the allegation with a view to
bringing the culprits to book, in accordance with the provisions of the law.
But the then government of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan chose to look away and pretend
as if nothing had happened.”
Expressing his opinion further, Adeniran
said, “the military institution is so vital to the survival of any nation that,
as the watch-men and protector over its territorial space, we should not, for
whatever reasons, toy with its integrity for any political gain for that
matter. By their orientation and training, soldiers’ constitutional mandate and
functions clearly separate them from being involved in any aspect of civil
administration, not even for security purpose. By their calling and training,
the police is constitutionally saddled with the task of providing security
within whilst the army takes care of strictly external attack or invasion.
“Therefore, the drafting of soldiers into
the affairs of electioneering, is an aberration in any democratic setting and
so cannot be excused. Even the excuse given by the then government of Dr.
Goodluck Jonathan, for involving the army in the said elections, could not hold
any water, because our police is adequately trained and equipped to cope with
the security demand of the exercise. Well, the hidden truth behind such an
unpopular decision eventually came to light through the exposition of the
controversial tape.” Adeniran asserted.
While assessing the implication of military
incursion into civilian issues, the anti-corruption crusader averred that, “it
has been discovered overtime that our political leaders, many a time, are fond
of taking certain decisions for purely selfish reasons without minding the
gravity of their implications on the life and image of the nation. The Ekiti
and Osun states’ experience is a national shame and embarrassment and so should
be condemned by any patriotic lover of democracy.”
Adeniran emphasized that, “Every well meaning
Nigerian should condemn in absolute terms the shameful, unethical role played
by the army personnel and their civilian accomplices indicted in the tape and
commended Mr. President for bringing the matter up for proper investigation.
Those found culpable, regardless of their social or political status, should be
made to face the full wrath of the law if only to put a final stop to such
executive recklessness and to also serve as deterrent to would-be desperate
politicians and corrupt members of our disciplined forces. Election rigging is
a heinous crime against the state; perpetrators should be so punished.
Whilst CACOL applauds Mr. President for this
development which has lent further credence to his affirmed fight against corruption
in all ramifications, the group expressed its sincere hope that the tempo will
be sustained as the people look forward to a changed political climate in our
dear country.
Temitope
Macjob
Acting Media Officer, CACOL
24th October, 2015.
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