APC Mocks CUPP’s Claims Over Police Postings
- Says party not meddlesome
BY COBHAM NSA, ABUJA – Amidst contestation and security concerns by opposition political parties ahead of the February 16 Presidential and National Assembly elections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has mocked the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) over its claims of sneaky deals in the recent postings of senior police officers nationwide.
The ruling party described as laughable CUPP’s claims that the Police hierarchy has been compromised in the officers’ postings for the purpose of providing elections security in its favour.
Debunking the allegations by CUPP, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said: “A nebulous group, which parades itself as CUPP, has made some laughable allegations on some police postings, particularly in Kwara State ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
“Ordinarily, the APC wouldn’t respond to a group of charlatans running errands for the embattled President of the Senate, Dr Bukola Saraki.
“However, since the group has issued the statement as a decoy for him, we would direct our reactions to their paymaster.”
Issa-Onilu stated that the APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, and other party leaders, mentioned in the CUPP’s statement, were too busy and focused on the party’s Next Level campaigns” and would not be distracted by frivolities.
The statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday said the APC leadership is currently active on field engagements and would not be dragged into childish conspiracies and spurious allegations by the CUPP.
The APC spokesman said it is not within the rights or responsibility of any political organisation or group to dictate to agencies empowered by the law how to deliver on specific mandates.
He said APC believes that leaders with a modicum of honour, should not tread on the path of cowardice by hiding under nebulous groups to make unsubstantiated allegations, adding that the party however, understood that people’s fears were oftentimes their own weakness.
According to Issa-Onilu, it was clear that Senator Saraki, the PDP, and their cronies were recollecting their usual practice of manipulating state institutions to achieve their selfish political goals.
He scoffed the PDP for being scared of its own shadows, saying; “Let it be known that our party, the APC, has not copied such dubious template.”
Mallam Issa-Onilu claimed that a new and progressive Kwara is beckoning through the votes of the people, insisting that Kwara electorate would decide on their State’s new political direction in the forthcoming polls.
Assuring that the resolve of the Kwara electorate will prevail in the next election, the APC image-maker lamented that; “Kwara has suffered enough backwardness and under-development resulting from the selfish grip of a self-appointed leader in the state.”
Few hours before the new Police postings were released; the CUPP had alleged it had credible intelligence that the list of officers redeployed to various Zones, Formations; Commands and States for the purpose of providing election security have been populated by those sympathetic to the ruling party.
A statement by its spokesperson, Imo Ugochinyere, claimed that some APC leaders were requested by the Police High Command to choose and pick Police Commissioners, Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, and SARS Commanders, to occupy strategic positions in the Force.
