Police withdraw Tinubu’s ADC

Lagos State Governor, Bola Tin

LESS than 24 hours to the governorship and state House of Assembly elections, both the Aide-de-Camp and Chief Security Officer to the Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, were on Thursday withdrawn.

The Action Congress has also allegedly uncovered plans to abduct some of its key leaders.

A source told our correspondents in confidence that Tinubu’s ADC and the CSO were withdrawn without any notice to the governor.

The source said, “The governor did not lodge any complaint against the two police officers. We did not know why they were removed.

“We were only told that the security officers would report to the Force Headquarters in Abuja with immediate effect.”

As at press time, he said Tinubu was without security, apart from the normal sentry guards.

The source added, “The police are purposely making the governor vulnerable to attack. They are desperate to ensure victory for the Peoples Democratic Party, in Lagos but they will fail.”

The police, on Thursday, however, debunked insinuations that it withdrew the security aides to Tinubu in order to enable any rival political party to win the governorship election in the state.

The Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Haz Iwendi, who spoke with one of our correspondents on the telephone, said the ADC and CSO to the governor were invited to the Force Headquarters, Abuja by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Sunday Ehindero, for briefing.

He did not state what the briefing was about.

He said, “It is not true that they were withdrawn. They were only invited by the IG, who is their boss, for briefing.”

Asked when the officers would be returning to their duty post, he said they had not been seen by Ehindero, who he said was not around on Thursday.

He said, ”They are still in Abuja as they have not seen their boss. They are policemen who were posted to the place by the police authorities.”

When asked whether it was proper for a governor to remain without security aides at this critical period, he said, “I don‘t know.”

“Is it a crime for the boss to ask that people working with him to come and see him? Are you saying those gentlemen are no longer policemen?” he said.

On the rumours that the police were working with a rival political party to rig the election in the state, he said no. He added that the police would “remain neutral in the election.”

Meanwhile, the AC has allegedly uncovered plans by the PDP to abduct some of its leaders in the state.

A source in the AC said the party had obtained a document on PDP’s plans to intimidate its leaders and rig the governorship and House of Assembly elections.

Excerpts from the document, made available to our correspondents on Thursday, read, “Some notable AC members in the state must be abducted till after election in April 2007.

“Efforts should be made by the security committee (PDP’s) in each local government to foment chaos in collaboration with the Oodua People’s Congress and the police at any polling booth where the AC is noticed to be leading.

“Arrangements to foment chaos should now be put in top gear so that a state of emergency will be declared in Lagos State.

“All security agents of Tinubu are to be replaced immediately.”

The document identified some AC leaders on the watch list as the state chairman of the party, Mr. Dele Ajomale; Denrele Ogunsanya; Olorunnimbe Mamowora; Mrs. Abike Dabiri; and W.O. Kassimi, among others.

Titled, “Parties’ rating in Lagos State and way forward for PDP in the coming general election in April 2007,” the document recommended that efforts should be made to go into alliance with other parties to defeat the AC.

The Lagos State chapter of the PDP was also advised to give N10billion, out of the N45billion earmarked to capture the state, to its branches in the 20 local government areas in the state to win the governorship election in the state.

But contacted, the acting Publicity Secretary of the PDP in Lagos, State, Chief Willy Akinlude, dismissed plans by the party to abduct some leaders of the AC.

He said that it was rather the AC that had kidnapped a candidate of the party, named Kehinde, in Amuwo-Odofin.

Akinlude also said that the party did not plan to disburse N10billion to its local branches to capture Lagos as alleged.

He said, “Who will give us that type of money? Where will we get it? How is that possible? Do they have any fact? No, it is the AC that is planning all those things.

“In Amuwo, they have kidnapped one of our candidates, Kehinde. It is the other way round. The AC is planning to kidnap us and they are giving money to voters.”