Army denies involvement in Kaduna LG polls

The 1 Division Nigerian Army has denied involvement in the Kaduna local government elections which took place on 12th May, 2018.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had accused the General Officer Commanding 1 Division and the Kaduna Commissioner of Police of participating in elections rigging to favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Army in a press statement issued yesterday and signed by its Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Muhammad Dole, urged the general public to disregard the publication in its entirety and regard the perpetrators as mischief makers and enemies of progress who are bent on pitching the military against the peace loving people of Kaduna.

The statement reads, “The attention of the 1 Division Nigerian Army has been drawn to a press release issued by the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Kaduna State chapter. The statement alleged involvement of the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division Nigerian Army (NA), Major General M Mohammed in the recently concluded local councils’ elections in Kaduna State.

“It is observed with dismay that stalwarts of either political party faction or an opposition party are resorting to desperate blackmail and outright falsehood with intent to drag the military into party politics. Previously it was false allegation of demolition of a party secretariat and now direct involvement of the GOC. This allegation is totally baseless and irresponsibly conceived with ill motive of tarnishing the image and personality of the GOC.

“The fact of the matter is that, on Friday 11 May 2018, General Mohammed was dutifully engaged in Kano, where he attended the burial rites of the late Sheikh Isyaka Rabiu and turbaning ceremony of Lieutenant General Abdulrahman Danbazau (rtd) (Minister of Interior) as Baraden Kano. On Saturday, May 12, 2018, General Mohammed accompanied the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai to pay condolence visit to the families of late Sheikh Isyaka Rabiu in Kano and thereafter visited the depot in Zaria before returning to Kaduna in the evening after the conduct of the local councils elections.

“The military personnel are conscious of their roles in the conduct of any election exercise and strictly abide by the Nigerian Army code of conduct on elections exercise. Likewise, military hierarchy always emphasises apolitical stance of its troops.

“The perpetrators of this falsehood are expected to back up their allegations with pictorial views or visual evidence of the scenes of the event to prove the involvement of the GOC or troops of the 1 Division NA in any part of Kaduna State.

“In view of the foregoing, Headquarters, 1 Division NA requests the immediate retraction of this allegation with apology to our gallant officers and men who are daily paying supreme sacrifice to ensure peaceful atmosphere in Kaduna State’’.