The All Progressives Congress (APC)
has strongly condemned the Inspector-General of Police Suleiman Abba for daring
to say he does not recognize Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal as the Speaker of the
House of Representatives, and for weaving a web of lies to cover up the real
reasons the police invaded the National Assembly.
In a statement in Osogbo, Thursday,
by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said by
refusing to recognize a Speaker who was duly elected by 360 members of the
House of Representatives, and a Speaker who has neither been impeached by those
who elected him nor removed by the Court, the police boss has thumbed his nose
at the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
”As the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Tambuwal
is the symbol of authority of the House and our country’s number four citizen.
By saying he does not recognize him as the Speaker, the IG has also indicated
he does not recognize the entire House of Representatives. For a man who was
not elected by anybody to make this impertinent assertion about elected
representatives of the people is tantamount to treason. Mr. Abba has shunned
all pretenses to neutrality, professionalism and decency and he is no longer
fit to occupy the important office of the IG,” it said.
APC wondered at what stage the IG
realized the issue involving the Speaker was sub judice, especially after he
constituted himself into a court of law, which is the only body that is constitutionally
empowered to make any pronouncement on the fate of the Speaker, and
unilaterally withdrew the Speaker’s security detail.
The party said Nigerians are very
much aware that Mr. Abba, by himself, could not have acted the way and manner
he has done, adding: ”But the truth is that he is dancing to a drum of perfidy
being beaten by his masters at the Aso Rock Villa. In the process, he has acted
in contravention of his oath of office”.
It said even though Nigerians are
aware that the IG acted at the behest of his masters in trying to unlawfully
remove a duly-elected Speaker of the House of Representatives, he still went
ahead to engage in cheap lies by saying he barred the Speaker and other members
of the House from entering the National Assembly because Gov. Amaechi and the
APC were planning to invade the Assembly as well as the Aso Rock and the Police
Headquarters.
”Shortly after the incident, Police
spokesman Emmanuel Ojukwu said the police acted the way it did because it got
intelligence report that ”hoodlums and thugs” were coming to invade the House.
Now, the police boss said it was because Gov. Amaechi and the APC were coming
to invade the House. This is a most shameful lie from the highest police
officer in the land, and it is a terrible dent on the image of the police under
Mr. Abba.
”One wonders why the police was so
concerned about the security of the National Assembly that it engaged in
selective granting of passage to the principal officers of the Assembly. The
Senate President was allowed to enter without qualms, just like the Deputy
Speaker of the House of Representatives. But when the Speaker came, he was
locked out. That speaks volumes about the intention of the police,” APC said.
The party commended the individuals
and groups that have strongly condemned the police action, but reminded them
that there is still much work to be done to prevent the President, acting with
a spineless, highly-partisan and increasingly unprofessional police and other
security agencies, from crashing the country’s hard-earned democracy on the
altar of inordinate political ambition.
It wondered how a man who can lie so
shamefacedly to cover up an egregious act will preside over the provision of
security for the 2015 elections.
”Mr. Abba is presiding over perhaps
the most-partisan police force ever in the history of our nation. He has thrown
professionalism, neutrality and fairness to the wind and made the police a
willing tool in the hands of a frenzied executive. He cannot be trusted to
ensure a level playing field for all parties at the next general elections,
hence he should be removed immediately,” APC said.
--- Vanguard News
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