Ekiti Poll: Military Begins Probe of Personnel

The military high command has begun probe of some of its officers’alleged partisan involvement in the 2014 governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti states.The five-man probe panel is presided over by the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division, Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Major-General Adeniyi Oyebade. Oyebade announced the take-off of the probe on Monday in Kaduna yesterday in Kaduna.The GOC stated that; “as most of you are aware, the last general elections conducted in March 2015 elicited criticism in some quarters, especially from the general public, particularly in the conduct of some Nigerian Army personnel during the governorship and presidential elections.“These allegations were centred on the governorship elections conducted in some states such as Ekiti, Osun, Rivers and Akwa-Ibom, to mention but a few.“It is therefore based on all these weighty allegations that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai on assumption of command, articulated his vision of having a professionally responsive Nigerian Army in the discharge of its constitutional roles and instituted this Board of Inquiry.“The panel is to investigate these allegations and recommend appropriate measures to prevent a reoccurrence in the future.“The military as a noble profession of arms must remain apolitical in our democratic dispensation. Politics, we strongly believe should be left entirely to the politicians.“I must hasten to add however, that in spite of these worrisome allegations, the military has to a large extent performed creditably as the foremost guardian of the nation’s democracy.“On this note, I will like to call on all the strata in the society and of course, the general public to please as a matter of urgency, appear in person if they so wish and forward their petitions in form of memorandum either personally to Headquarters 1 Division Nigerian Army, Kawo, Kaduna or via courier addressed to the Secretary, Panel of Investigation On Elections, HQ 1Division, Kawo, Kaduna.”