2019 Elections: Don’t Drag Military Into Politics, Osun Monarchs Urges Politicians

A traditional monarch in Osun, Olowu of Kuta, Oba Adekunle Oyelude, Thursday, urged politicians to leave the Nigerian  armed forces out of politics, saying such is not good for the nation building.

Oba Oyelude made the remarks while addressing  news conference in his palace in Kuta,  Iwo Local Government Area of the state.

The Monarch said since the return of civilian rule in 1999, opposition parties were fond of accusing incumbent of using the military to surpress it before, during and after the general elections.

“There is no doubt that this development is unhealthy for our nascent and growing democracy and nation building.

“It is noteworthy that it creates unecessary tension in the polity just as it also reduces the military to a dispensable tool in the hands of political class.

” On the strength  of this,  i am appealing to our political parties that as we go into the general electiins to leave the armed dorces out of their build-up to the elections.

“The Monarch said that the armed forces are not only the symbol of national unity and cohesion but also defenders of nation’s integrity” Oba Oyelude said.

The Monarch called on all Nigerians to continue to pray for the military and shun  comments that could kill thwir morale in the fight against the insurgents.

 Beside, Oba Oyelude also urged Nigerians to shun fake news emanating from  those he described as ‘ some faceless civil society organisation,  whose interest is not in alignment with that of Nigerian mass’.

” Our priority as Nigerians should be how our dear nation will rise and assume its natural position in the comity of nations regionally and globally”, the monarch.

Oba Oyelude also appealed to politicians not to see the coming elections as a do-or-die affair.

“We need to ensure that we record another hitch-free elections as we witnesaed in 2015.

“We should also appreciate the opportunity which democracy offer us,  which is oir return ro the polls eveey four years.

“We have ro realise that Nigeria belongs to all of us,  Nigwria is older than most of us,  and Nigeria will still outlive us.

“The beat we should individually and collectively do is to contribute our quitas in leaving Nigeria better than we met it”, Oyelude said.