The Nigerian Army has reacted to the statement President Muhammadu Buhari made at the Emergency Caucus Meeting of the All Progressives Congress on Monday that ballot box snatchers are doing so at the expense of their lives.
A leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, has, however, defended the president saying President Muhammadu Buhari was ‘misinterpreted’.
The Electoral Act prescribes two years in jail, not death, for persons found guilty of snatching or destroying election materials.
The Nigerian Army on Monday added another twist to the debate when it told PREMIUM TIMES it will obey ‘totally and effectively’ such order if it is given by Mr Buhari.
“If Commander-in-Chief has given the order to the Nigerian Army to that effect, be rest assured that order will be totally and effectively obeyed without any ifs or buts,”
Army spokesperson Sagir Musa told PREMIUM TIMES when reached for comments about whether the military would review its rules of engagement if Mr Buhari gave an order for the shooting of ballot box snatchers.
The Nigerian Army had earlier said it would deploy personnel for the elections, but only on contingent bases on the outer perimeter of communities rather than near polling units.
The police did not immediately return requests for comments about how they would treat any controversial directive by the president.
What Buhari said
President Buhari on Monday afternoon ordered security forces to be ruthless against anyone caught snatching ballot boxes after citizens had voted.
”Anybody who decides to snatch boxes or lead thugs to disturb the election, maybe that would be the last unlawful action you would take. I have given the military and police the order to be ruthless.
”I am going to warn anybody who thinks he would lead a body of thugs in his locality to snatch boxes or to disturb the voting system; he would do it at the expense of his/her own life,” the president said at a gathering of the ruling All Progressives Congress on Monday in Abuja.
The president’s order comes as Nigerians prepare to vote at the rescheduled general elections starting on Saturday.
Mr Buhari, who was elected in 2015, is standing for reelection, with Atiku Abubakar of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party being his most potent challenger.
The president’s order has ignited nationwide uproar, with critics accusing him of heating up the polity at a time both local and international groups are suing for tranquillity.
Snatching of ballot boxes, which has been highly detrimental to the electoral process in the past, has been rendered largely futile in recent elections, following the introduction of technology.
Where ballot boxes are snatched, extant electoral guidelines require that the affected polling units be cancelled for a fresh election.
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