Police seal APC Secretariat over planned protest

Armed Police operatives have sealed off the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja over a planned protest by aggrieved party members demanding the resignation of the Chairman of the party’s Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Mai Mala Buni.

The heavily armed policemen were seen on Wednesday arriving the Secretariat in four patrol vans and took over the entry and exit points on Blantyre Street where the APC National Secretariat is located.

An official of the party however told journalists that the operatives were invited by chieftains of the party following security reports that some members were planning a protest against the party’s leadership over the recently conducted ward, local government, and state congresses across the country.

Also Read: APC group asks Buni to resign as chairman

The National Secretary of the CECPC, John James, Akpanudoedehe, who spoke to journalists on the matter, said the deployment of police operatives on all roads leading to the APC national secretariat was nothing unusual.

He said the operatives were acting on security reports available to them.

Akpanudoedehe said: “Nothing is happening. They have been there several times whenever we need to safeguard the Secretariat.

“You are not in a 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 the Federal Capital Territory Minister, the Inspector-General of Police, and other people if they have any information.

“Not only here, if you are coming to Abuja, going to the airport, but we also 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.”