The Peoples Democratic Party on Wednesday advised politicians against comments and inciting statements capable of leading to disaffection within the rank and file of the Armed Forces.
The party specifically cautioned against the politicisation of matters of Army discipline, stressing that such are entirely within the purview of military authorities.
The PDP gave the warning in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh.
The party gave the warning against the backdrop of a statement credited to the Rivers State Governor, Hon. Chibuike Amaechi, concerning the death sentence passed on some soldiers by a military panel over the offence of mutiny.
Governor Amaechi, who is the Director-General of the Buhari Campaign Organisation, equally said Nigeria needs a strong-willed person to fight insurgency.
However, Metuh stated that politicians should refrain from commenting on issues of military discipline, its command and control procedures during this campaign period or even after.
He reasoned that it is dangerous to politicise issues pertaining to the country’s Armed Forces.
According to him: “We will not join anyone or political party in the unpatriotic act of trying to subordinate national interest to any politically and selfishly motivated interest.
“It is in the light of this that we view the statement credited to the Director General of the Presidential Campaign Organisation of the All Progressives Congress and Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, as not being in the overall interest of the military and the nation.
“We call on Nigerians to condemn the dishonourable tactic of the opposition desirous to gain contemptible political capital by dragging the internal affairs of the military into the arena of politics.”
Metuh lauded the Nigerian military for remaining resolute in the defence of the nation’s integrity.
He added that such sacred role which the military has successfully been playing must be jealously guarded and its integrity not made subject to the vagaries of political interests.
His words: “One of the major visions of the founding fathers of the PDP, which its leadership has successfully fulfilled, is the return of professionalism to the military and the re-channeling of its efforts to squarely face its constitutional roles.
“Nigeria’s democracy and the people have been beneficiaries of this insulation of our armed forces from politics.
“This painstaking process, in which we have been involved, has been responsible for the rebuilding and re-equipping of the military to confront the current security challenges.
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