Buhari stated this on Monday while declaring open the Chief of Army Staff’s Annual Conference 2022, in Sokoto State.
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered the Nigerian armed forces to maintain their apolitical stance and continue operating within the bounds of the constitution to ensure the smooth running of the general elections in 2023.
Buhari stated this on Monday while declaring open the Chief of Army Staff’s Annual Conference 2022, in Sokoto State.
The 2023 Nigerian governorship elections will be held for state governors in 31 out of 36 Nigerian states.
All but three elections will be held on 11 March — concurrent with elections to every state house of assembly, two weeks after the presidential election and National Assembly elections — while the Imo State, Kogi State, and Bayelsa State elections will be held on 11 November.
The President, therefore, stated that in order for the civil societies to function effectively during the election, it is essential that the army and the Armed Forces as a whole support it by fostering peace.
He expressed his happiness over the revised Rules of Engagement and Code of Conduct that the Chief of Army Staff had already released to serve as a guide for personnel during the general elections.
“The professionalism you exhibited in the successful conduct of the Anambra, Osun and Ekiti States Elections should also be reflected in the 2023 General Elections,” he said.
In accordance with international best practices, the president further urged the army to uphold human rights obligations while conducting operations.
Buhari promised that the Nigerian Armed Forces’ modernisation effort would be vigorously continued, and that the Nigerian Army aviation would be quickly activated.