By Lawrence Olaoye, Ikechukwu Okaforadi and Christiana Ekpa
President Muhammadu Buhari and the Senate yesterday directed the reinstatement of the security aides of Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State.
According to a statement made available to newsmen by his Special Adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, Buhari gave the order after receiving formal complaints from the governor on his arrival at. The state capital, Awka, for the Grand Finale of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Givernorship rally.
Before departing Awka, the President directed the Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operations), Joshak Habila to ensure the return of the governor’s security personnel.
This is just as the Senate directed the Inspector General of Police to restore the governor’s security aides with immediate effect.
As a follow up to the directive, the upper legislative chamber mandated its Chairman, Senate Committee on Police Affairs , Senator Abu Ibrahim (APC Katsina South), to ensure compliance by IGP to the directive and report back to Senate today.
Senate’s resolutions to this effect, were fallouts of different points of orders raised by the Senate’s minority leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP Taraba South) and Deputy minority whip, Senator Abiodun Olujimi ( PDP Ekiti South).
Though Senator Bwacha who came through order 43 to first draw the attention of the Senate to it did not succeed in getting the senate to subject the issue to debate with the ruling of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, but Olujimi who later came through order 52, succeeded.
In her argument, Olujimi said the action of the IGP is a potent danger to survival of democracy in Nigeria generally and successful conduct of the 2019 general election in particular.
According to her, if security aides of a sitting governor can be withdrawn now without being challenged , then the same IGP can extend his overzealousness in similar circumstances in future to withdrawal of security aides of other sitting governors , those of the Senate President and even the ones attached to the President of the country.
Though the leader of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC Yobe North) in his contribution attempted to be partisan by saying similar bad actions had been taken in the past but the Senate President in his remarks said “What is bad is bad”.
The IGP as widely reported in the media yesterday told Governor Obiano that his withdrawn Aide de Camp (ADC) and other security aides will report back to duty on Sunday morning, a day after the Saturday election.
