The Nigerian military has again sent a warning to any group of people plotting to sabotage the handover of power to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu which is billed to take place on the 29th of May.
The high command declared that the armed forces were on standby and would ensure a smooth transition process scheduled to take place in 24 days.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Musa Danmadami handed down the warning on Thursday as a former military Head of State, Yakubu Gowon, advised candidates challenging the outcomes of the last election to accept the court verdict.
Danmadami’s caution came a month after the Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, vowed that the military would resist anything that would truncate democracy in the country.
Also, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya, had threatened to crack down on potential threats to national security and warned the Indigenous People of Biafra, Eastern Security Network, and other fringe groups not to test the will of the military.
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Some aggrieved candidates had kicked against the planned inauguration of the president-elect and called for the interim national government but addressing defence correspondents at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja, Danmadami stated that the military would ensure that the inauguration was not derailed.
He declared, ‘I will reiterate that we are on standby to make sure that nothing unwanted happens; that the issue of threat to the security and stability of the country is addressed promptly. Elections have come and gone. For the presidential election, a winner has been announced.
‘There is a transition committee in place comprising all members of the security agencies, ministries, and agencies of government to make sure the event is held successfully and without a glitch.
‘We don’t see reasons why there should be a problem during the activity. The inauguration will come and go and nothing will happen. We are not going to relent in ensuring there is peace and stability across the length and breadth of the country.’
In his admonition to the aggrieved candidates who have lodged petitions at the various election tribunals, Gowon urged them to respect the sanctity of the court and humbly accept its decision in the coming days.
The elder statesmen gave the advice in Abuja at the 15th edition of the PUNUKA Annual Lecture 2023 and symposium in honour of the late justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Chike Idigbe.
The ex-military leader while emphasising the need for a strong, independent and impartial judiciary counselled aggrieved politicians and the public to abide by the decisions of the court.
He said, ‘As we move forward as a nation, let us not forget the role that the judiciary plays in nation-building, especially the apex court, in carrying out its duty of questioning the veracity of the decisions of the lower court.
‘As such, we need to allow the apex court their deliberations and come up with their decisions, and as the public, to be humble to accept its decision as final in order to maintain the sanctity of the judiciary as individuals and as an institution.
‘This is very important at this stage given the post-election litigation that is now going on. Let us give the judiciary the opportunity to do its work and let us accept their decision as it is.”
Acknowledging the challenge of the country since independence, he affirmed that the judiciary plays a vital role in nation-building and in keeping us united as a nation.