Tambuwal warns against militarisation of elections

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, has warned against the deployment of too much of military personnel in states of the federation for the 2015 general elections.

Tambuwal said such large deployment was democratically unfashionable and capable of intimidating voters and preventing them from exercising their right.
He said that though security was necessary to ensure no breakdown of law and order, but that an overdose of it would amount to heating up the polity and discouraging the electorate from performing their civic responsibility.
The Speaker spoke at the residence of the Deputy Governor of Edo State, Dr. Pius Odubu, during a visit to Benin City to attend the wedding of the son of the Oba of Benin, Prince Ehioze Erediauwa.
He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure the conduct of a free and fair election.
He stated, “I have made my position known at the NBA conference about a week ago. And I said that it is not the best of fashion in a democracy that you militarise a process to the extent that voters get intimidated and scared and they rather withdraws and remain indoors.
“And as for Nigerians, they want free fair and credible elections in 2015. Yes, in as much as we need security during elections, we don’t need overdose of it.
“Where we need heavy presence of military men is in the front line states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe. So we should focus more on that than states where we are conducting civic responsibilities like elections.”
On the efforts being made by the Federal Government to curb insurgency in the North-East, Tambuwal called on the citizens to encourage the Nigerian military to succeed, adding that the National Assembly had provided the needed support and framework necessary to fight the problem.
“As we all know the phenomenon is new to our armed forces; what our armed forces need from us is support and our prayers,” he said.
Reacting to speculations that he might soon dump the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress to contest the opposition party’s presidential ticket, the Speaker said, “When I went to collect my voter card, I said I was consulting and I am still consulting.
“Nigeria is not a small country; we have very senior leaders that one need to meet with before taking such decisions. As I said, I am consulting and at the appropriate time, I will come out to say what I will be doing in 2015.”