Lieutenant General Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, reaffirmed the Nigerian Army’s dedication to safeguarding the country’s democratic system in a recent seminar on career planning and management held by the Army Headquarters in Abuja.
The General emphasized that the Army has no intention of disrupting the democratic process and urged the officers to maintain their professionalism and integrity while fulfilling their duties.
General Lagbaja highlighted the Army’s role as a proponent of democracy, acknowledging the nation’s decision to adopt democracy as its chosen form of government. He assured that the Army will continue to uphold the constitution without interruption.
“Permit me to seize this opportunity to reiterate that the Armed Forces of Nigeria, particularly the Nigerian Army has come to terms with the country’s choice of democracy as the preferred system of governance,” he said during his address to officers.
“We are therefore agents of democracy and have no desire to truncate it. The Nigerian Army will continue to defend our constitution and not suspend it for whatever reason.
“Our elected leaders have to lead while the military does its job as enshrined in our constitution. Nigerian Army personnel must therefore remain professional and be above board as they discharge their constitutional duties.”
This assertion of loyalty to democratic principles comes amidst a backdrop of multiple coups in neighboring West and Central African nations over the past four years.
