Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Owoye Azazi, has debunked claims that the armed forces colluded with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rig the 2007 general elections.
Azazi was joined as the 810th respondent in the petition filed by former Vice President and presidential candidate of Action Congress (AC) in the polls, Atiku Abubakar, challenging the victory of President Umaru Musa Yar�Adua in the presidential election.
In an address submitted on behalf of the armed forces by his counsel, Bello Fadile, Azazi said that none of the military personnel deployed to provide security on the election day colluded with anyone to perpetuate rigging as alleged by the petitioner.
The CDS therefore challenged Abubakar to identify any military man who performed any act to influence the conduct and outcome of the elections.
He also asked the court to remove him from the list of people who have questions to answer as regards the conduct of the election or dismiss the petition in its entirety as, according to him, it lacked merit.
Azazi maintained that all military men who were out on the day of the election merely provided security, a duty which, he claimed, was in line with Section 217 of the Armed Forces Act, Cap A20, LFN 2004.
Axazi stated that all his men who provided security on the election day complied with operational directives issued for the purpose of the said election.
He noted that reports from all armed forces formations and units in the country indicated full compliance with the operational directives.
The CDS stated further that no report of bad conduct was made to him in respect of any of his men who provided security during the elections, nor did the petitioner identify any military man who conducted himself badly to justify the allegations made against military men in the petition.
According to the CDS, “the army hierarchy was never manipulated or influenced to collude with INEC in perpetrating alleged rigging, intimidating and maiming of opponents.