From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has defended its decision to mobilise police to the secretariat, confirming that it was based on security report available to it.
APC headquarters wore a semblance of a battlefield in the early hours of yesterday, as policemen, loaded in over five vans took over the party secretariat.
The police team numbering over 30 had strategically positioned themselves within the secretariat along Blantyre street, without harassing passersby and the motorists using the street. The gun-wielding, battle ready policemen did not allow any vehicle park within the secretariat vicinity, including those belonging staff, the visitors and the journalists that arrived there early.
Reacting to the situation, the National Secretary APC Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, said the party’s leadership acted based on security report.
He said there was nothing to be worried about the development meant to strengthen security at the party’s secretariat.
“The police are here to strengthen security for the leadership of Gov. Mai Mala Buni-led APC CECPC.
“Whenever you have a security situation or report, you take precautions to protect lives and property.
“APC cannot be embarrassed because we are the national government, therefore, we take measures to forestall any negative happenings.
“We have a security report, and 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 State Security Service (SSS) and that is what we have done.”
The CECPC secretary said the APC would never underestimate any security report or try to play it down adding that the party would continue to take measures to protect lives and prosperity of its members and Nigerians generally.
He also said that the party would begin to observe full compliance with COVID-19 protocols to prevent infections
Akpanudoedehe said it was the responsibility of the CECPC as managers of the party to put measures in place to protect lives and property and advised that people should not take anything for granted.
“We must have to put everything in place, even the ones that is not verifiable. What we consider to be threat is not what you consider to be threat, a mere word that you pass by, we would heighten it because we don’t want to be embarrass.
“This is APC that produces the national government. We cannot embarrass the president, we cannot embarrass the government of APC and we cannot embarrass ourselves,” the party scribe said.
He assured party members that the Buni-led CECPC was not in anyway threatened as being speculated in some quarters, adding that the chairman was as firm as ever.”