Authorities of the Nigeria Police are yet to restore the security details attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, one week after giving assurances of restoring same.
Rather, the Police authorities stated on Sunday that Tambuwal should apply for police details if he is in need of any.
Not long after emerging the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2015 elections in Sokoto State, the police promised to provide protection for Tambuwal and all other candidates.
The Force Headquarters however made it clear that it was doing so not because it recognized Tambuwal as the Speaker of the House of Representatives but because of his emergence as a governorship candidate.
The Force Police Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, had disclosed that “The police will do the needful in protecting Alhaji Tambuwal and all other contestants.”
But, the Force Headquarters, in obvious volt face on Sunday stated that there was no automatic protection for any candidate, adding that anybody desirous of police protection should apply for it.
According to Ojukwu, the Police has a lot of work to do and would not chase after politicians asking whether they needed protection or not.
“It is the duty of the police to provide protection for all candidates but they have to apply to be given police operatives.
“We have enough work on our hands and we cannot be running after candidates who need our protection.
“All candidates must apply for police protection,” Ojukwu told Punch in Abuja.
Reacting to the development, Tambuwal stated that he would not join issues with the police over their latest stance.
According to Tambuwal’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Imam Imam, “We don’t want to join issues with the police. There is a court order saying the status quo should be maintained, but they chose to violate the order.”
He recalled that the same police had long failed to obey a court order, saying that the “status quo should be maintained” over the withdrawal of his security details.
DAILY POST recalls that the police had withdrawn the Speaker’s security details immediately after he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC on October 28.
The police insisted that they acted in line with Section 68 (g)(1) of the 1999 Constitution, a provision that allows defection only on grounds of a division in a political party.
The police action is currently being challenged by Tambuwal before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
On Mon, Dec 15, 2014 at 12:50 PM, Sylvester Ugwuanyi <sylvester.ugwuanyi@dailypost.ng> wrote:
It has been gathered that the Force Headquarters is yet to reinstate any of the security details attached to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, over a week after it assured of restoring his police protection.
Rather, the Police authorities stated on Sunday that Tambuwal should apply for police details if he is in need of any.
Not long after emerging the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2015 elections in Sokoto State, the police promised to avail protection to Tambuwal and all other candidates.
The Force Headquarters however made it clear that it was doing so not because it recognized Tambuwal as the House of Representatives’ Speaker but because of his emergence as a governorship candidate.
The Force Police Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, had disclosed that “The police will do the needful in protecting Alhaji Tambuwal and all other contestants.”
But, the Force Headquarters made an about face on Sunday after one week after it made the promise. It now stated that there was no automatic protection for any candidate, adding that anybody desirous of police protection should apply for it.
According to Ojukwu, policemen had a lot of work to do and would not chase after politicians asking whether they needed protection or not.
“It is the duty of the police to provide protection for all aspirants but they have to apply to be given police operatives.
“We have enough work on our hands and we cannot be running after candidates who need our protection.
“All candidates must apply for police protection,” Ojukwu told Punch in Abuja.
Reacting to the development, Tambuwal stated that he would not join issues with the police over their latest stance.
According to Tambuwal’s Special Adviser on Media, Mr. Imam Imam, “We don’t want to join issues with the police. There is a court order saying the status quo should be maintained, but they chose to violate the order.”
He recalled that the same police had long failed to obey a court order, saying that the “status quo should be maintained” over the withdrawal of his security details.
DAILY POST recalls that the police had withdrawn the Speaker’s security details immediately after he defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC on October 28.
The police insisted that they acted in line with Section 68 (g)(1) of the 1999 Constitution, a provision that allows defection only on grounds of a division in a political party.
The police action is currently being challenged by Tambuwal before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.
Comments