The Coalition of Concerned Veterans (CCV) has issued Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State a five-day ultimatum to personally apologize to the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) for what they call "public misconduct."
This demand stems from the governor's order to arrest a soldier on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway last Tuesday and his subsequent remarks that were captured in a viral video.
In a statement on Sunday, CCV's spokesperson, Abiodun Durowaiye-Herberts, emphasized that failure to apologize will result in Lagos State missing the 2024 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day.
The statement partly read, “I already drafted a letter yesterday, that will be delivered to the Governor this week and copy all other relevant Government authorities.
“In that letter, a 5-day ultimatum is given to the Governor to leave his comfort Zone in Lagos and come down to Abuja and apologize to the Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) and by extension, the Armed Forces as a whole, for his ‘public misconduct’.”
Herberts stressed that regardless of the soldier's actions, the governor had no right to use derogatory language on him.
“We want to state clearly, the Governor has no right to use such derogatory word on a soldier, no matter what his offence is.
“The Governor has offended our constituency. Those who know him or close to him, should get the message across to him. An injury to one is injury to all of us.”
Highlighting the military's crucial role in democracy, Herberts declared plans to lead all veterans associations affiliated with CCV in a protest at Tafawa Balewa Square on January 14, 2024.
“Veterans are coming in their numbers. Let him bring out his thugs. It will be fire for fire!” he wrote.
