A former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the recent military parade involving Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku also demanded a thorough investigation into the incident, labelling it a gross violation of military tradition.
In a statement released by his media office, signed by Paul Ibe, Atiku expressed outrage over the event, calling it an aberration for any branch of the Armed Forces to organize a formal parade for a non-designated public figure.
But the Nigerian Army had said it was not behind the Quarter Guard salute in honour of Seyi Tinubu.
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.”
The summit was organised by CityBoy Movement, Ogun State chapter. The President’s son was the founder and grand patron of CityBoy Movement, where he awarded about N14million grants to five young tech innovators in the state.
Many people had interpreted the Quarter Guard to be that of the Nigerian military.
However, a group, Community Auxiliary Development & Effective Transformation Network, has come out to say it was behind the parade.
The man that led Quarter Guard Salute for Seyi Tinubu and other dignitaries in a video he posted online denied impersonating the Nigerian Armed Forces.
He said his group had no affiliation whatsoever with the Nigerian Army and did not use the military ranking structure.
But, Atiku, in his statement, stated: “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,” the statement read.
Atiku further questioned the legitimacy of the military-like outfit involved, stating that the so-called group, the “Nigeria Cadet Network,” was not a recognised entity within the Nigerian Armed Forces.
He emphasised the 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.
He added further that: “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.”
Chuks Okocha
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