Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Monday asked the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, to order the policemen currently occupying the headquarters of the “new” Peoples Democratic Party to vacate the place immediately.
Atiku, who is currently in China leading a private economic trade mission at the invitation of the Chinese government, interrupted his schedule to issue a statement, declaring that the police invasion of the party’s office has no justification in law, but borne out of political control.
The statement reads, “While it is embarrassing that the police had yet to give a reason on why its personnel are laying siege to a political party office, the whole world knows these are acts prompted by unscrupulous politicians who do not even have the moral conscience not to involve the police in politics.
“This goes to the root of the current crisis within the PDP: priorities. What does it say to our citizens, who live daily with the fear of violence and kidnappings, that our police priority is raiding a political party office?”
“I call on the leadership of the Nigerian Police, especially its Inspector General, to steer clear of political entanglements, and immediately vacate our party offices. Our national law enforcementpriority must be the safety and security of Nigerians, not politics.”
The former vice president said it is embarrassing that in a week when a top Christian clergy, top lawyer and senior advocate and countless others are being held captive by kidnappers, the Nigeria Police could muster the resources to seal the headquarters of the “new” PDP in negation of a court order.
According to Atiku, “further, a politically partisan police force sets a dangerous precedent, as they will be entrusted to supervise free and fair elections in the future.”
He said the latest development has put a big question mark on the sincerity of the IGP to effectively reform the police.