President Muhammadu Buhari’s admonishment to security agencies with regards to its service in maintaining high professionalism and remaining impartial in the 2023 polls has been backed by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP).
The Coalition described it as a welcome development even as Buhari revealed that a compromise of the democratic process could also damage Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
The President gave the advice in Abuja at the inauguration of a newly acquired estate by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Idu-Karmo, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He said: “I have made it very clear to the security agencies that they have a responsibility to remain apolitical at all times. Under no circumstances should they get involved in anything that could compromise the democratic process, or bring disrepute to their institutions and to Nigeria.”
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The coalition in a statement by its spokesman, Ikenga Ugochinyere, reacting to this, recalled that Buhari has spent the past months reiterating his resolve to peacefully hand over power to his successor.
The recent admonishment by Buhari to security agencies, according to CUPP, may not be farfetched from the failed move by the Department of Security Services (DSS) to frame the Central Bank of Nigeria’s governor, Godwin Emefiele of terrorism and the plot by some politicians to sack the INEC chairman, Yakubu Mahmud in a bid to prevent the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in the elections.
The statement reads, “There has been an ongoing crisis and counter-accusations of security agencies’ involvement in plots to derail the President’s backed CBN policies. Despite the fact that Buhari has openly said he gave the CBN Governor go-ahead on such policies, politicians, using security agencies such as the DSS are still trying to cause problems in their selfish bid to rig the elections.
“This statement by the president is believed to be an indirect message to security agencies and their political sponsors, to desist from any act that will undermine the CBN and INEC moves for credible elections and rather work towards stability and peaceful transition of power come May 2023.”
