The Defence Headquarters has responded to the advice to President Muhammadu Buhari to hand over power to the Nigerian military.
Robert Clarke, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) demanded that the military should control the government temporarily and restructure Nigeria.
A statement by Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, Director of Defence Information, said the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain fully committed to the present administration and all associated democratic institutions.
The spokesman noted that the military shall continue to remain apolitical, subordinate to the civil authority, firmly loyal to the Commander-in-Chief, President Buhari and the 1999 Constitution as amended.
Nwachukwu added that the military will continue to discharge its responsibilities professionally, protect the country’s democracy, defend the territorial integrity of the country and protect of lives and properties of citizens.
The statement warned politicians who nurse the inordinate ambition to rule this country outside the ballot box to banish such thoughts, assuring that the military under the current leadership remain resolute in the defence of Nigeria’s democracy and its growth.
“We also wish to remind all military personnel that it is treasonable to even contemplate this illegality. The full wrath of the law will be brought to bear on any personnel found to collude with people having such agenda.
“The current security challenges are not insurmountable. The Armed Forces of Nigeria in partnership with other other security Agencies are working assiduously to ameliorate the challenge. Nigeria will know peace again”, it read.
THE FULL TEXT:
The attention of the military high command has been drawn to a statement purported to have been made by one Robert Clark SAN, suggesting that current political leadership should hand over power to the military for the purpose of restructuring.
The Nigerian Military wish to dissociate itself from such anti-democratic utterance and position. Let it be stated categorically that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain fully committed to the present Administration and all associated democratic institutions.
We shall continue to remain apolitical, subordinate to the Civil Authority, firmly loyal to the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Mohammadu Buhari and the 1999 Constitution as Amended. We shall continue to discharge our constitutional responsibilities professionally, especially in protecting the country’s democracy, defence of the territorial integrity of the country as well as protection of lives and properties of citizens.
The Military High Command wishes to use this opportunity to warn misguided politicians who nurse the inordinate ambition to rule this country outside the ballot box to banish such thoughts as the military under the current leadership remain resolute in the Defence of Nigeria’s Democracy and its growth. We also wish to remind all military personnel that it is treasonable to even contemplate this illegality. The full wrath of the law will be brought to bear on any personnel found to collude with people having such agenda.
The current security challenges are not insurmountable. The Armed Forces of Nigeria in partnership with other other security Agencies are working assiduously to ameliorate the challenge. Nigeria will know peace again. PLEASE BE WARNED!
ONYEMA NWACHUKWU
Brigadier General
Acting Director Defence Information
3 May 2021
