(NIGERIA) In apparent reference to the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Organisation’s endorsement of soldiers' right to protest over the federal government’s failure to adequately equip them in their fight against Boko Haram in the North-east, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned against what it described as the unhealthy politicisation of matters of army discipline, which are entirely within the purview of military authorities.
PDP Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Wednesday, instead called for comments from politicians and parties that encourage discipline and obedience in the army.
According to him, “The PDP will refrain from commenting on issues of military discipline, its command and control procedures during this campaign period or even after, as we believe that it is dangerous to politicise issues pertaining to the country’s armed forces.
“We will not join anyone or political party in the unpatriotic act of trying to subordinate the national interest to any politically and selfishly motivated interest.
“It is in the light of this that we view the statement credited to the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Organisation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Rivers State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi as not being in the overall interest of the military and the nation.
“We call on Nigerians to condemn the dishonourable tactic of the opposition desirous to gain contemptible political capital by dragging the internal affairs of the military into the arena of politics.
“Across half a century of our nationhood, the Nigerian military has remained the major catalyst and the last defence line in the unity and oneness of the nation.
“This sacred role which it has successfully been playing must be jealously guarded and its integrity not made subject to the vagaries of political interests.
“One of the major visions of the founding fathers of the PDP, which its leadership has successfully fulfilled, is the return of professionalism to the military and the re-channeling of its efforts to squarely face its constitutional roles”
The PDP added that Nigeria’s democracy and its citizens have been beneficiaries of this insulation of the armed forces from politics.
“This painstaking process, in which we have been involved, has been responsible for the rebuilding and re-equipping of the military to confront the current security challenges,” the ruling party stated.
Similarly, the presidency on Wednesday termed the statement by Amaechi a treasonable pronouncement.
A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, said: “No responsible Nigerian or political organisation for that matter should ever contemplate encouraging or supporting mutiny in the Nigerian Army under any circumstances whatsoever.
“It is a pity that because of Amaechi's huge financial commitment to the General Buhari campaign, the presidential candidate of the APC has compromised his personal integrity and enviable military antecedents to endorse such reckless statements issued on his behalf.
“Chibuike Amaechi is no doubt an unrepentant sociopath whose main preoccupation is to desecrate constituted authority and create chaos and anarchy in the country.
“Very recently, for an election that is yet to be conducted, he announced shamelessly that his party will form a parallel government if it loses in 2015.
“Nigerians must clearly see the unsuitability of the major personalities that hold sway in the APC for leadership in the country. We enjoin all Nigerians to roundly condemn this act of treason against the state in a naked and reckless pursuit of power,” Okupe said.
(REPORT FROM THISDAY)
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