Nigerians ’ll resist any coup attempt, APC warns

Nigerians ’ll resist any coup attempt, APC warns

Summon Army Chief now, PDP tells Senate

The All Progressives Congress has warned that Nigerians will defend their democracy and resist any coup against the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“It is clear to everyone that Nigerians will defend their own democracy”, National Publicity Secretary of the ruling party, APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi,  stated this on Friday while reacting to the alarm by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai that some individuals were approaching some Army officers and soldiers for undisclosed political reasons.

According to the ruling party, “We have hesitated to react so far because we think that the house belongs to us, so we wanted to wait for Nigerians to react and Nigerians have reacted. If there was any such thing in the offing, I think it is clear to everyone that Nigerians will defend their own democracy.”

The Army had through its Director Public Relations, Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman, said that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai, received information that some individuals were approaching some officers and soldiers for some clandestine agenda, warning such persons to desist. He went further to say that the “Nigerian Army is a thorough professional, disciplined, loyal and apolitical institution that has clear constitutional roles and responsibilities.” The Army chief therefore warned all officers and soldiers interested in politics, to resign their commission or apply for voluntary discharge forthwith. “Any officer or soldier of Nigerian Army found to be hobnobbing with such elements or engaged in unprofessional conducts such as politicking would have himself or herself to blame”, he added.

Speaking in the same vein few days later, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Paul Arkwright, equally stated that the United Kingdom will not support any other political system to be practised in Nigeria.

“No other system will work in Nigeria, except democracy, UK believes so much in democracy and that is why we introduced it to Nigeria during the colonial era, we believe so much in democracy. So, our position is very clear; we stand for democracy, we stand for the democratic process and we stand for change, if that is what the people of Nigeria want. It has to be a choice that the people make and not a choice that is imposed upon them.

“The British Government believes that democracy is absolutely critical in Nigeria. There is a democratic process here; there are elections; if you are not happy with your leaders, then you should change your leadership process through elections”, the UK envoy stated.

Reacting to the APC’s warning yesterday, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), National Caretaker Committee called on the Senate to summon the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-General Tukur Buratai to make full disclosure to them on his statement that some politicians are reaching out  to military personnel for political reasons.

The spokesman of the committee,  Prince Dayo Adeyeye  told Saturday Sun in a telephone interview yesterday that the Buratai’s statement was vague.

He challenged the Army Chief to name the politicians, who are reaching out to military personnel, the officers they are reaching out to and for what specific purpose. “In fact, we are asking the Senate to invite the Army Chief to appear before them and make full disclosure to them on the matter,” Adeyeye stated.

According to him, it is not enough for Buratai to make half statements,  thereby creating vague impressions in the mind of the people.

The PDP spokesman said the party sustained the nation’s democracy for 16 years and has worked tirelessly in the past two years to prevent the APC from turning the country into a dictatorship. He said the opposition party will resist any attempt to truncate the nation’s democracy.

“That statement was very vague. The Army Chief should tell us who are the politicians. Who are the officers that were contacted and for what purpose.  He should name names. Not half statements. They should tell us the nature of the overtures. They should not create vague impressions.

“He should be more open on the matter. We know that they have serious problems in the ruling party.  Perhaps, there is a power struggle in the party,”Adeyeye said.

When contacted, Cairo Ojougboh, who is the Deputy National Chairman of the Senator Ali Modu Sheriff led National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP , said the statement by the Army Chief is a wake up call for politicians in the country.

Ojougboh,  who spoke in his personal capacity, said politicians in the country should behave themselves. He added that members of the PDP should see Buratai’s statement as a warning that they need to bury their differences and come together in the interest of the nation’s  democracy.

…Nigerians should be alert –Sagay, Ozekhome

Chairman of the Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption(PACAC), Professor Itse Sagay has urged Nigerians to be alert over the news of moves by politicians to influence military takeover of government.

Speaking to Saturday Sun, he said the All Progressives Congress(APC) was right to say it would resist such a development, observing that the information which came through the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai gave every Nigerian cause for concern.

The erudite professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria(SAN) said the APC made the right response to the alarm and advised that what the Army Chief should do is to ensure that the military retains its professional status so that the nation’s democracy can thrive.

He said: “You know the Chief of Army Staff, is a very important person; he is extremely important because he is the head of the Army which is the most powerful arm of the armed forces. He came out to say that there was danger signal that politicians were trying to influence military officers for negative and anti-democratic ends.

“That gives cause for the ruling party to be alert and the APC is right to say that it would resist any military take over of government. It is very comforting that the Army Chief has identified the problem and he is taking action. The whole country should just be alert. You cannot compare any other form of government to democracy”.

Another legal luminary, also a SAN, Chief Mike Ozekhome said the information is not only worrisome but quite disturbing, adding that the people would resist any form of military takeover.

Ozekhome said the worst form of democracy is absolutely better and preferable to the most benevolent military dictatorship.

His words: “It is not only the floundering APC party that will resist such misadventure as alleged but the entire beleaguered citizenry will rise and defend our hard-earned democracy by resisting any intrusive military ‘khakitocracy’.

“The recent revelations of hemorrhaging pilfering, crass barbaric and primitive acquisition of our national wealth and common patrimony have shown the military to be even worse and more satanically luciferous than our thieving kleptomaniacs.

“The military has proven itself to be a horrifically sad amalgam and complete approximation of the entire 1999 constitutional three arms of government joined together.

“The gigantic iroko tree that has become today’s corruption was incubated, sown, watered, nurtured, manured, cultivated and weaned under successive rampaging military juntas. Because the military does not possess democratic blood in its autocratic veins, it can never give democracy.

“The principle is nemo dat quod non habet (no one can give what he does not possess). But make no mistake about the rumours as there can hardly be any smoke without fire. The military has never ever written to nor received a sweetheart love letter of invitation from the collaborative political class before striking.”