APC slams IG for not recognise Tambuwal as House Speaker
(Nigeria )
The All Progressives Congress, APC, has condemned the
Inspector-General of Police, Mr Suleiman Abba for daring to say he does not
recognise Mr. 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.
APC in a statement in Osogbo, Osun State on Thursday by its
National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said that 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, 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.
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