By Eseoghene Emuke
Ijaw youths from Egbema Kingdom in Warri North Local Government Area of Delta State has called on the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai to caution his men deployed to the state to maintain neutrality in the Saturday’s election in the state.
The youths under the auspices of Egbema Youth Forum spoke through their leader, Mr. Ebipade Kari, in a statement issued on Thursday in Warri.
They alleged that there were plans by some politicians to use the military to disenfranchise the people of the area during the forthcoming polls.
According to it, “We wish to call on the Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai to call the Nigerian Army Personnel to order and not to allow the highly revered Military force in Africa to be used as petty thugs by the ruling government.
“We want to state it clear without any iota of reservation that the involvement of the Nigerian Military in electoral process in recent times in Nigeria has gone beyond manageable dimension.
“This is a disservice to democratic principles and tenets as the military are statute barred from dabbling into politics. The shaky and flimsy excuses of providing security are mere gimmicks scripted to actualize the biddings of the ruling party.”
The statement warned desperate politicians to stay clear of the area, adding that, “we shall not sit down and allow a set of desperate politicians who have no regard for the socio-political and economic survival of the people of Egbema to disrupt the peace in Egbema kingdom.
“The rights of the people to decide their leaders through free, fair and credible elections must be respected and must not be sacrificed on the altar of political desperation.”
