By Abimbola Ogunnaike
Few hours after the ruling All Progressive Congress APC protested against the inclusion of former Director of the Civil Society Directorate of the Presidential Campaign Council of the party, Hajiya Naja’atu Mohammed among 45 coordinators who will monitor the conduct of the police officers during forthcoming polls, the Police Service Commission (PSC) has removed her as name.
The PSC had asked a former Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Bawa Lawal (rtd) who is from the same geopolitical zone with Commissioner Najatu to take over the coordination of the monitoring of Police Conduct in the zone.
The spokesman of the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, disclosed this in a chat with northern based national newspapers on Monday, 20 February, 2023.
“The commission will always be sensitive to the wishes of Nigerians and will continue to contribute it’s quota to the sustenance of the nation’s democracy. The Commission wishes to state with all sense of responsibility that its commissioners representing different geopolitical zones have always supervised assignments of the commission in the geopolitical zones they represent. It was the same with the present national assignment,” Ani said.
The Director Public Affairs and Spokesman of the APC Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, had in a statement on Monday, 20 February, 2023, said she should be withdrawn immediately.
Keyamo stated in the statement that the appointment is not only “callous, it is insensitive, openly confrontational and consequently unacceptable by the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.
“We are deeply shocked and appalled to read a release by the Police Service Commission appointing one of its most partisan members, Naja’atu Bala Muhammad as a North West coordinator of the Presidential Election. In that role, she is expected to move about freely, supervising the conduct of Police Officers during the election.
“With the well-documented activities, actions and vitriol of Naja’atu in the last few weeks against our candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (after being shown the door out of the APC as a mole), we venture to say that this appointment is not only callous, it is insensitive, openly confrontational and consequently unacceptable by the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council. Coming at a time when President Muhammadu Buhari is constantly assuring and reassuring the world of free, fair and credible elections, it confirms our worst fears that there are functionaries of government that are actively working with the opposition to thwart the avowed commitment of Mr. President,” the statement said.
The statement added that the role given to Naja’atu requires a honest and unbiased individual who will discharge the duties diligently and without reproach. The nation will not get that from Naja’atu.
“We therefore demand for the immediate withdrawal of the name of Naja’atu Bala Muhammad as a coordinator of the Police Service Commission for the North West or any region for that matter.
“She has an inalienable right to continue to campaign for any candidate of her choice and to vote for that candidate, but she cannot be given a garment to wear at this time that is meant only for neutrals,” Keyamo said
Muhammad had resigned from the APC campaign council as Director Civil Society Organisations, saying she can no longer support the Presidential Candidate of the party, Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of Saturday, 25 February, 2023 election.
