Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, has said that the military has got intelligence that politicians are planning to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the governorship/state assembly elections on Saturday.
Buratai revealed this on Wednesday in his opening remarks at a strategic meeting with Principal Staff Officers, General Officers Commanding and field commanders at the army headquarters in Abuja.
He said that the acts of violence being suspected to be on the cards of politicians include bombings and assassinations.
He said, “Recent security threat assessment and analysis of the coming elections showed that politicians have made plans to use all means available to truncate the peaceful conduct of the elections.
“There are indications of their intent to take advantage of and to use the farmers/herders crisis, armed political thugs and ethnic militias to perpetrate acts of violence including bombings.
“Some of them also intend to infiltrate domestic staff of political opponents, employ mercenaries to carry out acts of assassinations, use the social media for smear campaigns, hate speeches and spread fake news in a bid to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the elections.”
He, however, said the military would resist all forms of violence.
The army chief urged “commanders to deal decisively with any electoral crime or action such as thuggery, snatching of ballot boxes, illegal possession of electoral materials and firearms as well as other crimes that would mar the smooth conduct of the election.”
