‘Military Involvement In Nigeria’s Elections Is Dangerous To Our Democracy’ – Clement Nwankwo

The Convener of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Clement Nwankwo, says the military’s involvement in the nation’s elections poses a threat to the nation’s democracy.

Mr Nwankwo who was a guest on The Verdict, Channels Television’s special broadcast on the ongoing state elections, said if the military would not take directives from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), they should not participate in electoral process.

“We went through 13 years of brutal military dictatorship and we are at the point today where for the first time since 1999, the army is playing such an incredibly direct role in our elections.

“Even when General Abdulsalami Abubakar conducted elections as Head of State in 1999, we did not have the military used in the way it is being used today. This is destroying our democracy; this is not the democracy that we saw when we went to vote in 2015 or in 2011,” he stated.

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Nwankwo also decried the abduction of some INEC officials during the just-concluded presidential election amidst security presence.

“As it happened in Anambra State in the last presidential election, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) was abducted for some time, election officials are being abducted, security services are refusing to carry out directives from the electoral commission to help accompany electoral materials to locations.

“This is very dangerous to our democracy. If this country has to survive and this democracy has to survive, then this country must take a stand on what to do about military involvement in elections. If the military is not able to take directives from INEC, the law should be amended to ensure they are immediately removed from involvement in any way in elections,” he said.