The Nigerian military has slammed former President Olusegun Obasanjo
as an embarrassment to the force he once served, hours after Mr.
Obasanjo on Monday announced his exit from the ruling Peoples Democratic
Party, PDP.
Mr. Obasanjo dumped the PDP at a dramatic event in Abeokuta, Ogun
State, a move that appeared aimed at forestalling an expulsion by the
party.
The military did not rebuke Mr. Obasanjo for leaving the party. It
lambasted the former president over his criticisms of the force’s role
in the postponement of forthcoming general elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had rescheduled
elections from February, to March and April, a decision taken at the
instigation of the military.
The former president, who has repeatedly criticised President
Goodluck Jonathan and his government, said the postponement of the
elections was to further the interest of the president.
A statement by the Defence Headquarters on its Facebook page said the
retired general constituted a serious embarrassment to the military
before everyone with reasonable judgment of the values and standard to
statesmanship.
“It is however noteworthy that most of his utterances lately indicate
an attitude of playing to the gallery or indulging in politicization of
serious national security or military affairs,” the statement said.
The military said Mr. Obasanjo, a retired general, must understand
that Nigeria’s armed forces has developed beyond how he left it, and
that the world has moved beyond that “parochial and self-adulating
reasoning and mind-set the Mr. Obasanjo seems stuck to”.
“The Nigerian military is now better placed to strive for the
maintenance of the legacies and ethos of service, valour, subordination
to constituted authorities, and nonpartisan commitment to duty and
fatherland,” the statement said.
The DHQ said, “For instance, the comments credited to Chief Obasanjo
alleging that the postponement of the General Elections was to enable
President Jonathan to use the Service Chiefs to plot a tenure extension
is to say the least, very surprising.”
It said that while the military desired to respect the old general
and his views, it became necessary to point out that his conduct and
utterances of late have fallen short of the standard of discipline
expected of an individual who has had the privilege of service in the
military.
The statement urged Mr. Obasanjo to encourage the military rather
than accuse it of ulterior motives, all for the purpose of discrediting
decisions related to the military’s roles in the polity.
It also said unlike many insinuations that the Nigerian military is
inept, the institution is neither incapable nor misused for political
ends as the Mr. Obasanjo may believe.
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Title : Obasanjo an embarrassment to the Military — Defence Headquarters
Description : The Nigerian military has slammed former President Olusegun Obasanjo as an embarrassment to the force he once served, hours after Mr. Oba...
