Decision 2023: CSO commends Army for professionalism

A a civil society organisation, Election Monitoring Coalition (EMC), has praised the conduct of Nigerian Armed Forces personnel during Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.

According to the Coalition, its men on the ground specifically went out on Saturday to assess the conduct of the Armed forces, and they found them to have carried out their responsibilities with high ethical standards.

EMC Director, Monitoring, Bello Yahuza and Director, Politics, Yewande Amusa, said reports from different parts of the country indicated that the Armed forces of Nigeria kept to its promise and indeed not only was apolitical, but collaborated with other security agencies.

‘’Investigations on promises by the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, that the Armed forces of Nigeria will not only remain apolitical, but will totally collaborate with the relevant security agencies in ensuring a peaceful election, to assess conduct of the elections in areas with security challenges and determine the worthiness of insinuations that the military was going to play a biased role. Generally observers reported that the security personnel behaved and conducted themselves professionally.” EMC said.

The Election Monitoring Coalition, also commended the Chief of Defense Staff, General Irabor for building a military force with enviable records, especially in conduct during electioneering period.

The Coalition also applauded the peaceful conduct of polls in the North East and South East, saying nobody thought it would have been possible in the two regions.

According to EMC “We note how troops nullified attempt by terrorists to disrupt elections in Mandara Mountains in Gwoza, Borno State, in Gombe soldiers recovered two ballot boxes from thugs who snatched them from the Government Science Secondary School in the Jekadafari area of the state.

“Across the country, it is a story of professional conduct by our troops, this indeed is commendable.’’

“EMC want to say without any reservations that the Armed Forces of Nigeria scored almost 100 percent in the Presidential elections, and we are certain that they will continue like that in the March 11, 2023 elections.”

However, EMC urged candidates in the remaining elections to follow the rules and accept the results in the best interests of the country.