Nigeria’s Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu has denied calling for the intervention of the country’s Armed Forces in the leadership of the nation as a result of widespread violence and killings.

According to a statement signed and released by his Special Adviser on Media, Uche Anichukwu, Senator Ekweremadu made the denial while speaking at the 74th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (Africa Region) Executive Committee dinner hosted by the Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson in Yenagoa.

According to the statement, Ekweremadu said his comments on the floor of the Senate were in defence of the nation’s democracy and were either twisted or misinterpreted by some persons.

Expressing his respect for the Nigerian Army, Ekweremadu explained that comments made by lawmakers while carrying out their duty of legislation should be situated within the proper context before any form of reaction.

He stressed that parliamentarians had a responsibility to continue to defend democracy and cautioned politicians against repeating the mistakes of the past which led to the abrupt end of previous republics.

He said: “We had one of our colleagues from Kogi who was hosting a constituency briefing and empowerment. He alleged that the state government sponsored thugs to chase away people, disrupt the programme and destroy the equipment he brought for his people.

“We condemned such acts, especially where in a particular case, the house of a parliamentarian was pulled down. We condemned a case whereby parliamentarians were stopped from holding meetings and where a parliamentarian was stopped from coming to a state where he was governor for eight years.

“We warned that it was such reckless abuse of power and impunity that scuttled our previous republics, especially the first republic and I cautioned politicians not to take our democracy for granted.

“Of course, some people took it out of context and said I was calling for a military coup. I never called for a military coup. I never said the military was planning any coup. Even the military’s statement admitted that my statement was only cautionary and that we were sincere. But they went as far as saying that the international community should Ignore my words of caution,” he said.

He said although he holds the Nigerian Army and the Armed Forces in high regard for defending the country’s democracy, they should not have rushed to make public comments on the matter.

Ekweremadu had last week, while contributing to a motion sponsored by Senator Ahmed Ogembe, said the country’s democracy was receding and he expressed fears that it was not impossible that the military could take over.