Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the recent military parade involving Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a statement through his Media Adviser, Mr Paul Ibe, Atiku described what transpired as a “gross violation of military tradition,” adding that it was a “desecration of the highly revered regimented age-long military tradition.”
A video currently trending online showed that Seyi Tinubu received a salute from the quarter guard on his arrival in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Seyi later inspected the quarter guards.
Seyi was in Abeokuta for the first annual youth summit and empowerment programme theme “Renewed Hope Agenda: A Concrete Foundation for a prosperous Nigeria.”
Reacting, Atiku said: “It is with utter dismay and concern that Nigerians were subjected to a nauseating video circulating online, where a group of young men, armed and in full military procession, bestowed upon the President’s son unwarranted military honours.”
Atiku further questioned the legitimacy of the military-like outfit involved, stating that the so-called group, the “Nigeria Cadet Network,” is not a recognized entity within the Nigerian Armed Forces.
He emphasized the disturbing fact that the name “Cadet,” associated with young, formally trained military personnel, was exploited by civilians to tarnish the esteemed traditions of the military.
“In an effort to uncover the truth behind this shameless procession, we instructed our legal team and military experts to investigate the so-called ‘Nigeria Cadet Network.’ To no one’s surprise, it was revealed that the group is not a legally registered entity,” Atiku noted.
“What is even more alarming is the brazen use of firearms by civilians in this so-called parade — at a time when illegal arms proliferation is at a dangerous high in our country.”
Atiku, while condemning the action, called for an urgent investigation by all relevant security agencies to address the critical concerns to also authenticate legitimacy of the “Nigeria Cadet Network” and its use of the title “Cadet when it is not a registered entity.”
The investigation is also expected to unravel the “origin and legality of the firearms displayed by members of the ‘Nigeria Cadet Network’, as well as the propriety of the military honours granted to the President’s son by non-commissioned civilians under the protection of security personnel.”
The former Vice President who stressed that preserving the integrity of the Nigerian Armed Forces is paramount, said: “If it is determined that any legal violations were committed by the President’s son or members of the so-called ‘Nigeria Cadet Network.
“It is the constitutional duty of Nigerian security agencies to ensure that the law takes its course and those responsible are held accountable.”
See the video of the honour here.
