The Police Service Commission, PSC, has approved the redeployment of 37 Commissioners of Police for the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
The redeployment is coming a few days to the February 16 elections, though the recommendation for the redeployment of the affected officers was made by the acting Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, to the Police Service Commission, PSC, shortly after his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Police Service Commission, PSC, spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, in a statement in Abuja on Wednesday said the commission had approved the redeployment of the officers, adding that they were expected to report immediately to their new commands.
In the new exercise, Kayode Egbetokun who was earlier posted to Lagos by former IG, Ibrahim Idris, but was stopped by the acting IG, is posted to Kwara.
Egbetokun was the Chief Security Officer to the Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, when he was the Lagos State governor, which observers believe was why his posting to Lagos was truncated.
Mu’azu Zubairu will take over from Edgal Imohimi as Lagos State CP. No information was given as to where Imohinmi was going.
The CPs of the FCT and Ogun, Bala Ciroma, and Ahmed Iliyasu, however, retained their respective positions.
Meanwhile the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has condemned the postings describing it as a ploy by APC to use the police to rig the elections in their favour.
The details of the postings according to the statement are: Buba Sanusi, Katsina State; Mohammed Wakili, Kano State; Rabiu Ladodo, Jigawa State; Mu’azu Zubairu, Lagos State; Ibrahim Sabo, Niger State; Alkassam Sanusi, Taraba State; Garba M. Mukaddas, Adamawa State; Omololu Bishi, Benue State; and Bola Longe, Nasarawa State; Isaac Akinmoyede, Plateau State; Odumosu Hakeem, Edo State; Olushola David, Bayelsa State; Adeleke Yinka, Delta State; Austin Iwero Agbonlahor, Cross River State; Bashir Makama, Akwa Ibom State; Awosola Awotunde, Ebonyi State and Belel Usman, Rivers State.
Others are: Bello Makwashi, Gombe State; Abdulrahman Ahmed, Kaduna State; Hakeem Busari, Kogi State; Asuquo Amba, Ekiti State; Galadanchi Dasuki, Imo State; Suleiman Balarabe, Enugu State; Dandaura Mustapha, Anambra State; Etim Ene Okon, Abia State; Ibrahim Kaoje, Sokoto State; Celestine Okoye, Zamfara State; Garba Danjuma, Kebbi State; Abiodun Ige, Osun State; Undie Adie, Ondo State; Olukolu Shina, Oyo State; Ali Janga, Bauchi State; Damian Chukwu, Bornu State; and Sumonu Abdulmalik, Yobe State.
According to Ani, the Chairman of the Commission, Musiliu Smith, admonished the CPs to quickly settle at their new posts and ensure that the elections at their various commands were peaceful, free, fair and transparent, adding, “Our nation cannot afford any disruption of the elections anywhere as the world is looking up to Nigeria for a proof that its democracy has continued to mature.”
Reacting to the postings, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, alleged that Egbetokun has been instructed to cause pandemonium in Kwara to enable the APC to rig the elections.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, he further claimed that the police officers being posted had been directed to intimidate, harass and manhandle those against Buhari’s re-election.
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His words; “Nigerians are aware of how Egbetokun was posted to Lagos State by the former IG, Idris Ibrahim, to serve the same partisan interest and how that posting was stopped by the new IGP. Now, he is being redeployed to Kwara State for the same ignoble plot.
“The deployment of Kayode Egbetokun as the Kwara State CP directly negates the principle of the peace accord and can only hurt the fragile peace that currently exists in the state.”
In their own response, the APC invalidated allegations by the CUPP and the PDP that the postings had been compromised for the purpose of providing security in its favour.
The Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onilu, in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, said the allegations were laughable.
“A nebulous group which parades itself as the CUPP has made some laughable allegations on some police postings, particularly in Kwara State ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
“Ordinarily, the APC would not respond to a group of charlatans running errands for the embattled President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki.
“However, since the group has issued the statement as a decoy for him, we would direct our reactions to their paymaster.”
He said that the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and indeed other senior party leaders mentioned in the statement were too busy with the party’s presidential campaigns.
According to Issa-Onilu, however, it was not within the rights or responsibility of any political organisation or group to dictate to agencies empowered by laws how to deliver on specific mandates.
He said it was clear that Saraki, the PDP, and their cronies were recollecting their usual practice of manipulating state institutions to achieve their political ends.
“Let it be known that our party, the APC, has not copied such dubious template from the PDP,” Issa-Onilu said.
