Military Vows To Defend Democracy As Police Ban VIP Escorts, Aides From Polling Units

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has restated commitment to a strong and viable democracy, loyalty to the Nigerian state and readiness to defend democracy at all costs.

This is just as the police have banned VIP escorts and aides from polling units and vowed to clamp down on violators.

The acting director, defence information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau who spoke at the joint briefing with the Police, Department of State Services and other security agencies at the Defence Headquarters yesterday said strong force would be applied on those that want to subvert peace during the elections.

He said as earlier assured by the Chief of Defence Staff General Lucky Irabor,  the Armed Forces of Nigeria is committed to total collaboration with other security agencies to ensure the election is successful, adding; “The elections will be conducted and everyone will be at liberty to exercise his franchise, the AFN is committed to strong and viable constitutional democracy, we are very loyal to the Nigerian State and we are ready to defend democracy at all costs.”

He added that military operations and duties would continue simultaneously across the country during the elections.

He noted that Operation Safe Conduct had been activated to provide guidance to the AFN during the general elections, adding that the DHQ had established a monitoring team in conjunction with other security agencies that would oversee the process in the FCT and all six geopolitical zones of the country.

Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Olumiyiwa Adejobi said; “We are together in making sure we protect our democracy and work towards having a good transitional progress in Nigeria democracy”.

“Like the CDS, we are ready to protect democracy, we are ready to give good security to our electoral process so that we can have free, fair credible and even acceptable general elections in 2023 in the philosophy of Mr President who said he wants free fair and credible elections, despite belonging to a political party but he wants to give every Nigerian the rights, liberty to do whatever he wants to do. We want to assure active electorate i.e. those with PVCs to go out and exercise their franchise but inactive electorate, those that are more than 18 but without PVCs please stay at home we don’t want them, they are the ones that cause problems so just stay glued to your TV and radio stations to monitor the elections,” he said.

The police spokesman said there would be restriction of movement from 12: 01am to 6pm today and banned personnel attached to VIPs from escorting them to the polling units.

He however noted that exception to the movement restriction include accredited members of the press.

“Only those accredited by INEC will be allowed to move from one point to another, security agencies don’t accredit journalists so INEC has done that and given them tags . Don’t move out without your tag so that you will not be embarrassed and again those on other essential services such as firefighters, ambulances responding to medical emergencies and some other people that we know are on essential services such as telecoms have been given a waiver to move around to ensure that our systems still work while the elections last,” he said.

He said the ban on unauthorised use of vehicles, sirens, revolving lights, covered number plates, unregistered vehicles, tinted glasses is still in force.