Again, police seal off APC national secretariat

The police again on Thursday barricaded the main entrance to the national secretariat of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), reportedly on the orders of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mohammed Adamu.

This is the second time this week that they are barring workers and reporters from accessing the secretariat.

It was sealed off for close to three hours on Tuesday by police officers who said their action was to maintain law and order against the backdrop of a sharp division in the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

This latest development is to keep away from the facility the NWC members who have rejected their invitation to a virtual National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting called by Victor Giadom. President Muhammadu Buhari is expected to participate in the meeting slated to begin at noon on Thursday.

The party’s national vice chairman (South-south), Hilliard Eta, who the NWC named the interim chairman following the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole and the ailment of the national deputy chairman (South), Abiola Ajimobi, described the meeting as “illegal and unconstitutional.”

“We hereby respectfully implore Mr President to kindly avail himself with facts of the matter regarding the impasse presently experienced by the Party so as to guide him in his assessment of the matter because we are sure that the President if properly advised, would come to the conclusion that the meeting convened by Chief Victor Giadom bothers on illegality and criminality.

“We believe that attending such a meeting will amount to embracing illegalities and turning a blind eye to the infractions on the Constitution of our great Party,” read an excerpt from the statement signed by both the party’s national vice-chairman (South-south), Mr Eta and Waziri Bulama, the acting secretary on Wednesday.