Armed policemen on Monday mounted surveillance at the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.
Secretary of the Caretaker/Extra-Ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC), Senator John Akpanudoedehe, said the presence of the Policemen was a proactive measure for protection based on a security report.
As early as 9 am on Monday, not less than ten Hilux pickup patrol vans fully loaded with armed policemen were strategically positioned along Blantyre street where the party Secretariat is located.
Four of the vans of the police were positioned around the main gate to the Secretariat complex while six others were stationed at the three major entrances to the street.
Another set of six non-branded vehicles were said to be on surveillance around the secretariat and its environs.
The car park outside the party Secretariat was also condoned off. Nobody was allowed to park outside the Secretariat.
But party staff, members, Journalists, and visitors were allowed entrance to the Secretariat complex while members of the public went about their business unmolested.
Reacting to the development, Akpanudoedehe said policemen were there at the instance of the party.
He maintained the party took a proactive measure following an undisclosed security report.
According to him, Police were invited to strengthen the leadership of Gov. Mai Mala Buni and to protect lives and property.
“The police are here to strengthen the leadership Governor of Buni, the caretaker chairman of the APC. What do I mean by that? Whenever you read a security situation, whenever we are privy to a security report, it is incumbent on our part to strengthen Secretariat so that we can protect the lives and property of APC members.
“APC cannot be embarrassed because this is a national government. Therefore we take measures to restore any happenings. We cannot underestimate security report. We cannot play down on it.
“We have a security report, we can’t take laws into our hands, you can’t expect us to call thugs to defend the national secretariat. The right thing to do is to inform the police and the SSS that they may know what has happened.”
Asked how much of the security report threatened the party, Akpanudoedehe said: “No one should take anything for granted as little as rumor we must have to put everything in place, even the one that is not verifiable, a just rumor we must put it in place because we cannot be embarrassed.
“I am privileged to have been the Minister of FCT. I am privileged to have been a local government chairman. I am privileged to have sat on the federal executive council and I have been privileged to have sat as member security and intelligence committee of the Senate.
‘’So what we consider to be a threat is not what we consider to be a threat. A mere word that you passed by we would heighten it because we don’t want to be embarrassed.”
When asked if opposition to the position of the chairman following the Supreme Court judgment necessitated the invitation of police, he said: “How can the chairman position be threatened? No his position is not to threaten don’t carry rumors. Read the judgment of the Supreme Court. The chairman is as firm as ever.”
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