Tai Emeka Obasi, the media aide to Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi, has urged the Nigerian military not to get involved in politics.
Remember that the military called for an interim government on Thursday, calling it illegal and unconstitutional.
Major General Musa Danmadami, Director of Defence Media Operations, stated this in Abuja during a biweekly update with journalists on Armed Forces of Nigeria operations.
He claimed that those who are dissatisfied with the outcome of the presidential election are behind the call for an interim government and that they are malicious.
However, in an interview with The Punch on Thursday, Obasi advised the military to stick to its defensive role rather than attempting to interpret the Constitution for Nigerians.
He also warned that the LP would not be intimidated or bullied, emphasizing that the party and Obi would not back down until they reclaimed their “stolen mandate.”
He said;
Everybody seems to be politically inclined now. It is a system to do whatever is necessary to assist whoever they want to assist in swearing-in as president for the next four years. It is not in the position of the military to define our constitution or whatever it says.
Their (Military) duty is defence. They are meant to intervene whenever they are called upon. It is not for them to start telling us what they think is in the Constitution. The Constitution shall be defended by the court when there is a logjam. Not by any other person or institution.
The LP has dutifully and obediently gone to court. It is left for INEC, Senator Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima to respond and the court processes to start.
The military should therefore not jump the gun. It will be very unfortunate and unfair for the DHQ to start releasing intimidating statements. If the target is to intimidate and bully people whose only lawful route to recover their stolen mandate, it won’t work.