The Coalition of United Political Parties on Monday described alleged military interference in the governorship and House of Assembly elections in Rivers State as treasonable felony.
The coalition’s national spokesman, Imo Ugochinyere, said this in a statement in Abuja.
Ugochinyere claimed that with the military’s action, the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, had shown that he was nursing an agenda of returning the country to military rule.
He described the soldiers’ action as an assault on democratic institutions, asking all lovers of democracy to resist it.
He said, “The Coalition of United Political Parties has reviewed the performance of the Nigerian military in the just-concluded governorship election in some parts of the country and has come to the conclusion that the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, is nursing a secret agenda to return the country to a military rule.
“We make bold to say that Buratai’s brazen use of armed soldiers to attack officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and upturn electoral process were testing grounds for his plot to truncate Nigeria’s democracy.
“We hereby raise the alarm loud enough for all lovers of democracy to hear that an electoral war is looming in states like Rivers over the desperate moves by the Nigerian Army and the All Progresives Congress to announce fake governorship election results in Army Barracks in favour of an unknown and non-existence party called AAC.
“We condemn in unequivocal terms President Muhammadu Buhari and his Chief of Army Staff over this reckless overthrow of electoral process in Rivers State with the APC thugs and security agents.
“We hereby say without mincing words that the undemocratic activities of the military and other security agencies in Rivers State are tantamount to treasonable felony and should be viewed and treated that way.
“This is an assault on democratic institutions in the country and should be resisted and condemned by all lovers of democracy within and outside the country.”