Nigerian Army denies involvement in electoral malpractices and violence
Abuja, Nigeria (PANA) – Reeling under attacks for its involvement in electoral malpractices in the last general election in Nigeria, the 6 Division Nigerian Army headquarters based in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Tuesday expressed disappointment over the report of the fact finding committee of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which indicted it for malpractices and violence that led to the suspension of the Rivers State electoral processes.
The Army Division, which didn’t address specific accusations of malfeasance during the conduct of the elections, said that the Army had worked hard to assist the Nigeria Police and INEC during the Presidential, governorship and State House of Assembly elections towards peaceful and violence free polls, regretting that they would turn around to blame it for the crisis that led to botched elections in the area.
The Army further stated that the Rivers State Police command, which earlier investigated the attack on military personnel by political thugs and took media men round various hospitals to visit the victims, could not deliver its report to the INEC fact finding committee that visited the State last week.
Rivers State is the stronghold of the major opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the home State of the Director General of President Muhammadu Buhari’s campaign organisation and Federal Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi Amechi.
Spokesperson of the 6 Division of the Army, Colonel Aminu Iliyasu, said in a statement that the INEC committee was not fair in their report, stressing that the report did not feature the Nigerian Army’s defence on the alleged violence.
INEC on Saturday accused the Nigerian Army and armed gangs of disrupting the March 9 governorship and State House of assembly elections in the Niger Delta region of Rivers.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Festus Okoye, said in a statement that collation centres were invaded by some soldiers and armed gangs resulting in the intimidation and unlawful arrest of election officials thereby disrupting the collation process.
Colonel Iliyasu stated that instead of balancing the report, the committee only allegedly indicted the Army, threatening to review every existing joint activity with the Rivers State Police Command if it fails to tell the public the truth about the state election saga, especially how the military helped in preventing violence and aided in peaceful election.
Col Iliyasu stated, “It is however pertinent to note that, representatives of the 6 Division met with the Fact-Finding Committee on 12 March 2019 at the INEC Headquarters in Port Harcourt and had honest discussions and made a written submission to aid the Committee in its task. Regrettably, none of the Division’s input from any of the findings of INEC was made public. This clearly indicates lack of trust by an institution that the NA sacrifices so much to assist in the course of performing their role.
“What INEC failed to mention or even consider is the fact that at about 10:30 pm on Saturday 9th March 2019, troops of 6 Division NA detailed at the outer perimeter of Obio/Akpor Local Government Headquarters Collation Centre were brazenly attacked by Governor Wike’s security aides and armed thugs who stormed the collation centre with the Governor in a convoy of more than 50 vehicles while collation of results was going on. In the ensuing melee, Captain Adams Salami was shot at close range by the security aides of Governor Wike while Corporal Adeosun Adebayo was matcheted by Governor Wike’s thugs. Both victims are currently receiving treatment at University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) Intensive Care Unit and Military Hospital Port Harcourt respectively with life threatening injuries. Thereafter, election materials were carted away and electoral officials abducted by the Governor’s thugs to an unknown destination. This was made known to the INEC Fact-Finding Committee but INEC does not see it worth condemning or mention in its report.
“Consequently, after due consultations and considerations between 6 Division and the Rivers State Police Command on Sunday the 10th of March 2019, the Rivers State Police Command, on their own, - took the initiative to invite the media to the hospitals where the 2 victims are receiving treatment and thereafter to host a press conference on the matter with the view to dissociate itself from the unprofessional conduct exhibited by their men attached to Wike and tell the public what disciplinary action the command will take or is already taking. However, while the visit to the victims was accomplished and the 2 victims interviewed by the media, the press conference was aborted by the Police after journalists have been assembled.
“Coincidentally, a rescheduled press conference on the matter was also aborted on 14 March 2019. Most disheartening is that while the Rivers State Police Command accepts the involvement of their personnel in the attack at Obio/Akpor LG Headquarters, till date those personnel have not at least been reprimanded. To this end, - in the circumstance, the 6 Division NA as a stakeholder in the 2019 General Elections takes exception to the lopsided and therefore unfair INEC report and is hereby strongly and totally rejected by the NA”.
Iliyasu added that “The Division is equally disappointed with the attitude exhibited by the Nigerian Police in this regard and hereby request the police leadership to commence full scale investigation of those security aides to Governor Wike that attacked troops at the Obio/Akpor LG Headquarters Collation Center and shot at Capt AA Salami with a view to appropriately sanction those found responsible/culpable. Until that is done, Headquarters 6 Division NA will have to review all existing joint activities with the Rivers State Police Command.”
-0-PANA MON/AR 19 Mar2019
