SAN FRANCISCO, November 20, (THEWILL) – Leave Military Out Of Politicking – Buhari Media Organisation Warns AtikuThe Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has accused the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation of clutching at straws in a bid to paint the nation’s security chiefs as partisan.
This was after the Atiku campaign spokesman, Segun Sowunmi, had accused President Muhammadu Buhari of compromising the heads of military agencies as a result of the presence of some senior officers at the presentation of the score card of the Buhari administration on Sunday at the Presidential villa.
BMO in a statement by its Chairman, Niyi Akinsiju, and Secretary, Cassidy Madueke, stated that the claims are an affront to the nation’s military leadership as well as their effort to protect the nation’s territorial integrity.
It added “Contrary to impression, service chiefs did not attend the flag off of the Buhari/Osinbajo “Next Level” campaign at the Presidential villa.
“It was a function spearheaded by the Vice President’s office to also showcase the success story of the Buhari administration in key areas of security,economy and the anti-graft campaign but it was not meant to be attended by everybody.
“Like Presidential spokesman Mallam Garba Shehu said some of the military chiefs that showed up before the President’s arrival left as soon as it was obvious that it was a strictly political event.
“That was why the Chief of Army staff Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai and the Inspector General of Police Ibrahim Idris were not at the Presidential villa on the day.
“Besides,the only military officers that were in the Banquet Hall throughout the event were the President’s ADC Colonel Mohammed Lawal and the Commander, Guards Brigade, Brigadier General Umar Musa” who heads the Presidential guard”, it said
The group explained that it was the reason that government officials that spoke at the event were restricted to people driving the giant infrastructural strides of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and its populist social welfare programmes.
BMO said “It is common knowledge that the two ministers that spoke on the day are the individuals directly involved in the massive infrastructural projects going on in all 36 states of the federation.
“Power, Works and Housing minister Babatunde Fashola gave insights into roads, housing and power projects while Transport minister Rotimi Amaechi shed light on ongoing rail projects not as the Director General of the Campaign organization.
“And there is no way any account of the achievements of the Buhari administration could be completed without a mention of the Social intervention Programmes which was aptly delivered by the Senior Special Adviser to the President on SIP Maryam Uwais”
It noted that claims by the Atiku media handler are actually a throwback to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) years when top military and security chiefs were placed under the direct control of senior federal government officials before and during elections in many parts of the country.
BMO said a President committed to ensuring professionalism in the military would never sanction any move to drag the armed forces and its leadership into partisan politics in any guise.
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