Police, DSS Beef Up Security at APC Secretariat over Planned Protest against Buni

*We acted on security report, explains Akpanudoedehe
*Says party won’t join issues with Marafa

Adedayo Akinwale

Men of the Nigeria Police and officers from the Department of State Services (DSS), yesterday, beefed up security at the national secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja over an alleged planned protest against the leadership of the party’s national chairman and Chairman, Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Committee, and Governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni.

National Secretary of the party, Senator John Akpanudoedehe, said the security personnel were invited to secure the party’s secretariat.
The APC leadership, however, said it would not join issues with a chieftain of the party, Senator Kabiru Marafa, or allow him drag the party to gutter.

The recent ward, local government and state congresses of the party had widened cracks in some state chapters, with this resonating in calls for the dissolution of the Buni-led caretaker committee.

Men of the police and DSS, who arrived the secretariat about 10am, were stationed at strategic locations around the building. The officers numbering about 25 came with six Hilux vehicles and barricaded the road before it was later relaxed to ease vehicular movement.
The combined team of officers were said to have mobilised in response to a security report over planned protest by aggrieved APC members against the party’s leadership.

Akpanudoedehe told journalists in Abuja regarding the presence of the security personnel, “Nothing is happening. They have been there several times whenever we need to safeguard the secretariat. You are not in position to read security reports, so you cannot ask me. If something happens now, they will say what were they doing.

“There are so many things that have to do with security that you are not aware of. It’s a routine thing; the police liaise with FCT minister, the IG and other people if they have any information.”

Akpanudoedehe noted that the party acted on security report and decided to increase security at the secretariat.

He said, “We have the duty to protect the people, who work here. We read security reports and I’m sure you are fully aware we have every security agency in our secretariat. We are only acting on security reports. There is no cause for alarm.”

However, on the Zamfara situation, Akpanudoedehe, while reacting to a statement credited to Marafa, said the committee would not be abusive to any member of the party.

He said, “We are not abusive to any member of our party; we are too mature to go into personal response. Our interest is in general public and then the party. We are not going to go back and forth with anybody.

“Any information that he’s giving out, we are duty bound to respond by stating the fact as it is. I will not descend to the level, where Marafa talks,”

The national secretary noted that he had never been personal with anybody, stressing that, Marafa could abuse him, but his duty was to explain to the public.

He stated, “We are not going to enter into personal tirade of words. Nobody can drag me or the party to the gutter. We are an institution. They are not dealing with an individual but an institution.”