Nigeria’s major opposition political party, All
Progressives Congress (APC) has written a letter to President Goodluck
Jonathan and the chairman of the Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, notifying to obey the court
judgment barring the involvement of military personnels in the
forthcoming general elections.
According to Vanguard, the letter was written by the Director, Legal Services of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume (SAN), and was addressed directly to Jega, but copies of the letter were made available to President Jonathan, the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Air Staff and the National Chairmen of the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
APC in the letter dated February 16, 2015 ,called the attention of
the federal government to a judgment delivered on January 29, 2015 by
Justice R.M. Aikawa of the Federal High Court, Sokoto and another by the
Court of Appeal, Abuja, on February 16, 2015 which overruled the use of
military in elections.
The letter read in parts, “I am sure all well-meaning Nigerians share your deep seated concern on the militarisation of our elections.
“It is therefore imperative your good office and commission ensure, henceforth, and until there is an enabling Act of the National Assembly, the court orders are obeyed and armed forces personnel are never again deployed in any form of security supervision of our elections.”
Justice Aikawa of the Federal High Court in his judgment on the suit marked: FHC/S/CS/29/2014 among others, restrained the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and INEC “from engaging the service of the Nigerian armed forces in the security supervision of elections in any manner whatsoever in any part of Nigeria, without the Act of the National Assembly.”
Justice Abdul Aboki, in his lead judgment in the Ekiti State Governorship Election appeal on February 16, held that “even the President of Nigeria has no powers to call on the Nigerian armed forces and to unleash them on peaceful citizens, who are exercising their franchise to elect their leaders.
“Whoever unleashed soldiers on Ekiti State, disturbed the peace of the election on June 21, 2014; acted in flagrant breach of the constitution and flouted the provisions of the Electoral Act, which required an enabling environment by civil authorities in the conduct of elections,” the letter stated.
In a related development, the Nigerian military has vowed to secure Nigeria against insurgents during and after the elections, despite threats made by Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, in a recent video, where he threatened that his group will disrupt the polls.
According to Vanguard, the letter was written by the Director, Legal Services of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume (SAN), and was addressed directly to Jega, but copies of the letter were made available to President Jonathan, the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, Chief of Air Staff and the National Chairmen of the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The letter read in parts, “I am sure all well-meaning Nigerians share your deep seated concern on the militarisation of our elections.
“It is therefore imperative your good office and commission ensure, henceforth, and until there is an enabling Act of the National Assembly, the court orders are obeyed and armed forces personnel are never again deployed in any form of security supervision of our elections.”
Justice Aikawa of the Federal High Court in his judgment on the suit marked: FHC/S/CS/29/2014 among others, restrained the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and INEC “from engaging the service of the Nigerian armed forces in the security supervision of elections in any manner whatsoever in any part of Nigeria, without the Act of the National Assembly.”
Justice Abdul Aboki, in his lead judgment in the Ekiti State Governorship Election appeal on February 16, held that “even the President of Nigeria has no powers to call on the Nigerian armed forces and to unleash them on peaceful citizens, who are exercising their franchise to elect their leaders.
“Whoever unleashed soldiers on Ekiti State, disturbed the peace of the election on June 21, 2014; acted in flagrant breach of the constitution and flouted the provisions of the Electoral Act, which required an enabling environment by civil authorities in the conduct of elections,” the letter stated.
In a related development, the Nigerian military has vowed to secure Nigeria against insurgents during and after the elections, despite threats made by Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, in a recent video, where he threatened that his group will disrupt the polls.
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