Troops Disposed Across Nigeria For Polls
Nigeria’s government said that ongoing disposing of
troops across the country was to guarantee peace, order and stability
throughout the polls.
Mike Omeri, the coordinator of the National Information Centre, noted this this to the journalists in Abuja.
Omeri, who said there was satisfactory provision of security during the poll period, asked Nigerians to remain by the restriction of vehicular movement as ordered by the police.
Meanwhile, he asked electors to be vigilant around the polling units while exercising their franchise.
As to the Federal High Courts banning the federal government from disposing soldiers, Omeri said government had not broken the ruling as the soldiers would only help in organising security.
He said: ”In this country, soldiers have never participated in an election; they do not carry ballot boxes, have you ever seen that. They maintain safe distance for the safety of the citizens and society. They only assist to re-enforce whatever arrangements put in place from a distance. The security officers who are designated by law to support the process have always been known to be the police.”
Speaking also on the deployment Emmanuel Ojukwu, force public relations officer, said that the constitution authorized the president to do that.
”Under the constitution which is our supreme law, Section 218 gives the president the powers to deploy the military and there is no court in this country that has ousted that aspect of the constitution. Make no mistake about that. The law gives powers to the president to determine the operational use of the armed forces,’’ Ojukwu added.
The force spokesperson defined the army as one of the shareholders in Nigeria. He said the troops would maintain a distance of 300 metres away from the polling stations, and that in a case of violence or disruption, they might be called in to help.
However, Justice Ibrahim Buba of Lagos High Court in his order said that that deployment of soldiers is unconstitutional without the support of the National Assembly.
On its turn, the All Progressives Congress accused the current government of trying to rig the polls by the use of soldiers during elections.
Mike Omeri, the coordinator of the National Information Centre, noted this this to the journalists in Abuja.
Omeri, who said there was satisfactory provision of security during the poll period, asked Nigerians to remain by the restriction of vehicular movement as ordered by the police.
Meanwhile, he asked electors to be vigilant around the polling units while exercising their franchise.
As to the Federal High Courts banning the federal government from disposing soldiers, Omeri said government had not broken the ruling as the soldiers would only help in organising security.
He said: ”In this country, soldiers have never participated in an election; they do not carry ballot boxes, have you ever seen that. They maintain safe distance for the safety of the citizens and society. They only assist to re-enforce whatever arrangements put in place from a distance. The security officers who are designated by law to support the process have always been known to be the police.”
Speaking also on the deployment Emmanuel Ojukwu, force public relations officer, said that the constitution authorized the president to do that.
”Under the constitution which is our supreme law, Section 218 gives the president the powers to deploy the military and there is no court in this country that has ousted that aspect of the constitution. Make no mistake about that. The law gives powers to the president to determine the operational use of the armed forces,’’ Ojukwu added.
The force spokesperson defined the army as one of the shareholders in Nigeria. He said the troops would maintain a distance of 300 metres away from the polling stations, and that in a case of violence or disruption, they might be called in to help.
However, Justice Ibrahim Buba of Lagos High Court in his order said that that deployment of soldiers is unconstitutional without the support of the National Assembly.
On its turn, the All Progressives Congress accused the current government of trying to rig the polls by the use of soldiers during elections.
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