The National Democratic Coalition (NDC) has condemned the alleged attempts by some malign elements to drag the Nigerian Armed Forces into politics.
The coalition said so in a statement issued by its chairman, Abdulazeez Lamido and secretary, Ogbonaya Ude, on Wednesday in Abuja.
The group said it strongly condemns the three similar videos with different soundtracks being circulated, allegedly showing Nigerian army personnel supporting or rejecting certain presidential candidates.
He asked security agencies to prosecute the producers of the videos and get them to book.
The group said it was troubled that some elements had made themselves voluntary tools to provoke disaffection within the regime, as the country prepared for the 2023 general elections.
This, according to the group, comes at a time when the armed forces are doing everything in their power to deal with the security challenges in the country.
“We have no choice but to agree that the producers of the videos work in tandem with the enemies of the country.
“Obviously they are angry with the way the military has gone after the criminal elements,” he said.
The group said the videos were clearly created to show the military being partisan, in preparation for the 2023 general election.
He added that it was curious that the videos were released days after calls for the dismissal of the Chief of the Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor, for destroying an illegal supply ship.
According to the group, the enemies of Nigeria want to launch an attack on the AFN from different angles.
“We are aware that the Chief of the Defense Staff, General Lucky Irabor, pledged the loyalty of the military leadership to the democratic regime in the country.
“During a media chat, tagged: ‘Open Ears Dialogue’, the CDS urged politicians to refrain from drawing members of the armed forces into political affairs, saying the military should be isolated from any persuasion or political inclination.
“The CDS also warned politicians to keep the military out of matters that have to do with politics and not to use political inclinations and persuasions to lure members of the armed forces into the idea of having to undertake coups and everything.
“We urged Nigerians to ignore the videos and support the armed forces to win the various battles against the criminals.
“Now is not the time to distract our troops who are engaged in the various theaters of operations. We must help them win the war and bring the country back to the path of peace,” they said.
The group described the videos as the work of disgruntled elements threatened by the successes of the military which had made itself willful tools to provoke disaffection.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that three video clips with the same scene but different soundtracks were circulating online, showing servicemen dancing to music believed to support or disapprove of three different presidential candidates.
The first music video consciously depicted the troops partying and dancing to music supposedly to celebrate and openly support a presidential candidate in the upcoming general election.
The second music video (with the same visuals as the first) showed the troops supposedly dancing to a derogatory song insulting the personality of another presidential candidate.
The third showed the troops singing and dancing in approval of another candidate. (NOPE)
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