Buratai

 

Nigeria’s main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked the country’s Chief of Staff (COAS), Tukur Buratai to concentrate on tackling the challenging security situations in the country instead of meddling in politics.

In a statement on Wednesday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP asked Buratai to refrain from acts or actions which will suggest in any way that the country’s military has become an arm of a political party.

Reacting to a statement credited to the COAS that the military is bound to obey orders from President Muhammadu Buhari in dealing with ballot box snatchers, the party said the president lacks the power to deploy soldiers for elections.

The party described the deployment of the military for the elections as an attempt by the Buhari administration to suspend the constitution of the nation and assume the role of an emperor.

“Gen. Buratai’s allusion to the people’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar as well as his threats to officers and rank to execute the unlawful order by President Muhammadu Buhari to participate in the electoral process is an aberration of our laws and a recipe for crisis.

“Gen. Buratai is counselled to note that the loyalty of the military is to the state and that the President lacks the powers, under our laws to deploy soldiers for the conduct of elections.

“Our party urges Gen. Buratai to concentrate on his very demanding assignment of protecting the territorial integrity of our nation and ending insurgency rather than dabbling into partisan politics at the risk of our national cohesion.

“It is imperative to state that by trying to drag the military to participate in the February 23 Presidential elections, President Buhari plots to suspend our constitution, assume the position of an emperor, trigger unrest, subvert our electoral process and derail our democracy.”