By John Dike, Osogbo
- Orders strict compliance with election code of conduct
The General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Auwalu Mahmuda, has ordered troops deployed for the August 15 Osun State governorship election to remain professional, politically neutral and strictly adhere to the Code of Conduct guiding military participation in election security operations.
The GOC gave the order while addressing officers and soldiers deployed to support election security operations at the Engineer Construction Command (ECC), Ede, Osun State.
He reminded the troops that their deployment was in line with the constitutional responsibility of the Nigerian Army to provide aid to civil authorities whenever necessary.
Also, he explained that the operation, codenamed Operation SAFE CONDUCT, was designed to support the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), which remains the lead agency responsible for election security in Nigeria.
According to him, soldiers are expected to provide only outer-cordon security and should intervene strictly when requested to respond to security threats.
He warned the troops to stay away from polling units except where their intervention becomes necessary in line with operational directives.
The GOC said the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, expects all personnel participating in the operation to demonstrate discipline, professionalism and absolute neutrality throughout the electoral process.
He cautioned the troops against political partisanship, intimidation of voters or any conduct capable of undermining the credibility of the election.
Mahmuda stressed that the troops must conduct themselves in a manner that reflects the core values of the Nigerian Army, urging them to avoid harassing members of the public while carrying out their duties.
He assured the personnel that adequate logistics and operational equipment had been provided to ensure the successful execution of the assignment and urged them to justify the confidence reposed in them by the Army High Command.
The GOC also appealed to residents of Osun State to cooperate with security agencies, assuring them that the deployment of troops was not intended to intimidate voters but to guarantee a peaceful and secure environment for the conduct of the governorship election.
He said security agencies would work in collaboration to maintain law and order and ensure that eligible voters freely exercise their constitutional rights without fear or intimidation.
Mahmuda expressed confidence that with the support of residents, political parties and other stakeholders, the August 15 governorship election would be peaceful, credible and hitch-free.
