Police to restore Tambuwal’s security aides in 2015

 

There were indications on Friday that the Force Headquarters would restore the police details of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal.

Saturday PUNCH gathered that the decision followed the emergence of Tambuwal as the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate in Sokoto State for the 2015 poll. The Speaker won Thursday’s APC primary to defeat four other aspirants. His security personnel had been withdrawn by the police after Tambuwal dumped the Peoples Democratic Party for the APC on October 28.

The police had hinged their action on the provision of Section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution, arguing that Tambuwal was no longer recognised as the Speaker. A suit Tambuwal filed at an Abuja Federal High Court challenging the withdrawal of his security personnel is still pending. However, investigations showed that after he emerged as the governorship candidate, the police felt compelled to give him security cover.

Security sources confided in Saturday PUNCH that though the Force Headquarters still did not recognise Tambuwal as the Speaker; the police were under obligation to protect him as a governorship candidate. One of the sources said, “We still believe the speaker is not entitled to security based on his decision to defect.

“The constitution is very clear on that and we are defending our position well in court.

“However, since Tambuwal is now a candidate of a major political party in Sokoto State, convention requires that he is protected by the police. “The Federal Government takes the security of leading candidates very seriously as such we will restore security to Tambuwal and at the same time provide same for all the leading candidates in all states of the Federation. “If the police authorities feel at any given time that the security of candidates is under threat, we are bound by law to come in and provide security.

“If you recall really well, the governorship candidate of the then ruling All Nigeria Peoples Party was murdered in Borno State very close to the election, since then we reviewed our internal security arrangements and decided to notch security around candidates a bit high.” Attempts to get the reactions of the Office of the Speaker to the development failed on Friday as his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Imam Imam, could not be reached.

When contacted, the Force Headquarters confirmed that the police would provide security for Tambuwal and all other contestants in the 2015 elections. The police still addressed Tambuwal as “Alhaji”, instead of Speaker, an indication that his police personnel are being restored not because he is the Speaker but owing to his emergence as a governorship candidate. The Force Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojukwu, said in a text message to one of our correspondents, “The police will do the needful in protecting Alhaji Tambuwal and all other contestants.”