The Federal Government may defy the Court of Appeal judgement barring the use of soldiers in the conduct of elections in the country, Saturday PUNCH has learnt. A top government official, who pleaded anonymity, in an interview with one of our correspondents on Thursday, gave an indication that President Goodluck Jonathan might order the deployment of soldiers for the March 28 and April 11 general elections. The official was responding to a question on what step the President will take on the letter written by the All Progressives Congress in which it called attention to the court order. He said there was no issue in the matter as Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, had replied the APC on the matter. He said the governor’s response was enough. The Ekiti State governor was quoted on Thursday to have said Jonathan would continue to deploy soldiers for elections in the country. The governor had further said that the APC did not want the military to be involved in the elections in order to have the opportunity to perpetrate
violence during the elections. “It is the constitutional right of President Goodluck Jonathan to deploy soldiers to provide security anywhere in Nigeria and not even the APC allies in the judiciary can take away this right,” Fayose was quoted as saying. The governor added in a telephone conversation with one of our correspondents on Thursday night that it was the responsibility of the Federal Government to ensure law and order and protect the nation’s citizenry. Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati,
could not be reached for comments at the time of filing this report. But the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Prof. Rufa’i Alkali, who also spoke to Saturday PUNCH on Thursday, confirmed the response of the top government official. He said military troops would be deployed to protect the lives and property of Nigerians before, during and after the elections. Rufa’i said only people with sinister motive are afraid of the deployment of troops. Alkali said, “Soldiers, as far back as when Edo State Governor, Mr. Adams Oshiomhole, was being elected, were deployed and Oshiomhole even with his radicalism swallowed his pride and came to thank the President for supporting the elections with adequate security. “Now, look at what happened in Ekiti, when they lost they were crying but when the military was also deployed in Osun and they won they kept quiet. “I challenge them to say since they didn’t want the deployment of security for elections, and soldiers were deployed for the Osun election, I thought they were going to reject the outcome of the Osun elections but they didn’t. What the APC is doing
is crass opportunism.” The Peoples Democratic Party national leadership refused to comment on the court ruling, preferring to concede the decision on the type of security officials to be used for the elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission. The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said the security measure being planned by the INEC should be enough to guarantee free, fair and crisis-free elections. When asked to be specific if he was satisfied with the Court of Appeal ruling which barred the deployment of soldiers for elections, he said he needed to study the judgement first. Metuh said, “Well, I need to study the judgement and seek the opinion of our legal adviser. But suffice to say that we believe that the army is doing
a marvellous job and that by the time we are due for the elections, there would not be any security crisis in any part of the country. “Also, we are of the opinion that any security plan being put in place by the INEC would be acceptable and enough to have peaceful elections. “We would work with the electoral body to have free, fair and acceptable elections across the country.” continue reading http://www.skycoded.com/forum/3688-Soldiers-for-Polls-Jonathan-may-defy-Appeal-Court-order

No soldier No vote

I cant risk my life for anyone

Those calling for non participation of d military in d elections want what happened in 2011 to,repeat itself.Nigerians should know that d president has d responsibility of providing security for nigerian citizens and properties,therefore he can deploy soldiers to accomplish this.The court is equally aware,but for what to eat.

Of course he can, after all that guy we call our president have no respect for rule of law, in fact he'd rather not give a damn and will come on national t.v to say "I don't give a damn". ...smh.