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The military has warned politicians against using military personnel, their activities, uniforms or accoutrements as themes or for illustration of message in political advertisements or any such productions.
Director, Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Jimmy Akpor, gave the warning in a statement in Abuja, yesterday.
Three video clips with same scene but different sound tracks were being circulated online, depicting military personnel dancing to music purportedly supporting or disapproving three different presidential candidates.
The first video clip portrayed troops making merry and dancing to music purportedly in celebration and open endorsement of one presidential candidate in the forthcoming general elections.
The second clip (with the same visuals as the first one) willfully showed troops supposedly dancing to a derogatory song that insulted the personality of another presidential candidate.
The third showed troops singing and dancing in approval of another candidate.
Defence spokesman said the videos sent a disturbing signal to members of the public and the political class in particular on the face value. He said the videos seemingly connoted partisanship by military personnel and by extension, the entire military establishment.
According to him, on a closer scrutiny, however, it was obvious the original visual content was manipulated to produce the current ones in circulation. He said the original soundtrack of the videos was a usual morale boosting song that soldiers sang at military exercises or activities.
“Unfortunately, certain individuals who are unknown at this point, took the video and superimposed different songs on the visuals, which soon went viral.
“It created the odious impression that soldiers were promoting the candidacy of a particular politician while disapproving the another. While it is within the right of individuals to create media content for political purposes, it is grossly disingenuous to appropriate video of a military activity and use same to create contents that portray the military as partisan, political and unprofessional. This is particularly despicable as the nation prepares for the 2023 general elections,” he said.
Akpor said the military could not afford to be partisan or commit to any enterprise that would create disharmony in the polity, saying the military had toiled night and day to protect and keep guard over Nigeria’s democracy since 1999.
“The Defence Headquarters seriously frowns at the deliberate attempt to misrepresent it and wishes to caution media and public relations handlers as well as supporters of political parties to desist from misusing images and visuals of military personnel.
“This does not only present the Armed Forces of Nigeria in bad light, it can also sow seeds of distrust and instability.
“There is, therefore, the need to be circumspect while copy-writing, never to use military personnel, their activities, uniforms or accoutrements as the main themes or for illustration of the main message in political advertisements or any such productions. Defaulters will henceforth be fished out and made to face the wrath of the law,” he warned.
Also reacting, the National Democratic Coalition (NDC) condemned alleged attempts by some mischievous elements to drag the Nigerian armed forces into politics.
The coalition, in a statement by its President, Abdulazeez Lamido and Secretary, Ogbonaya Ude, said it strongly condemned the three similar videos with different sound tracks in circulation, purportedly depicting that personnel of the Nigerian military were supporting or rejecting certain presidential candidates. It asked the security agencies to go after the producers of the videos and bring them to book.
The group said it was disturbed that some elements had made themselves willing tools to cause disaffection in the polity, at a time when the country was preparing for the 2023 general elections.
This, according to the group, is coming at a time the armed forces is doing everything within its capacity to deal with the security challenges in the country.
“We have no option but to agree that the producers of the videos are working in tandem with enemies of the country.
“Obviously, they are angry with the manner the military has gone out to tackle criminal elements.”
The group said the videos were clearly created to show the military as being partisan, preparatory to the 2023 general elections.
It added that it was curious that the videos were released a few days after calls for the sack of the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor, over the destruction of illegal bunkering vessel.
According to the group, the enemies of Nigeria want to launch attack on AFN from different angles.
“We are aware that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, has pledged the loyalty of the military leadership to democratic rule in the country. During a media chat, tagged: ‘Open Ears Dialogue’, the CDS urged politicians to desist from luring armed forces members into political matters, saying that the military should be insulated from any political persuasions or inclinations.
“The CDS also warned politicians to leave the military out of issues that have to do with politics and do not use political inclinations and persuasions to want to lure members of the armed forces into the idea of having to undertake coups and all.
“We urged Nigerians to disregard the videos and support the armed forces to win the various battles against criminals.
“This is not time to distract our troops who are engaged in the different theatres of operations. We must support them win the war and return the country to the path of peace,” they said.
The group described the videos as the handiwork of disgruntled elements, threatened by the successes of the military which had made themselves willing tools to cause disaffection.
