DOZENS of armed policemen in four patrol vans on Wednesday took over major entry and exit points into Blantyre Street where the national secretariat of the All Progressives Congress is located.
It was gathered that the policemen who were complimented by officers of the Department of State Service, were deployed following security reports that protesters were mobilizing to storm the area.
Various groups of aggrieved party members, had at different times, threatened to protest what they described as unjust handling of internal party affairs especially the recently concluded ward, local government and state congresses.
In response to enquiries about the police presence at the party secretariat, National Secretary of the party, Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, explained that it was a routine police operation.
He said, “They (Security agencies) have been there several times whenever we need to safeguard the Secretariat.
“You are not in position to read security reports, so you cannot ask me. If something happens now, they will say what they were 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 FCT 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, we 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.”
When contacted, spokesman APC supporters under the aegis of Concerned APC members, Abdullahi Dauda, confirmed that plans to hold peaceful protests were at an advanced stage.
Dauda, said this in a telephone interview with Nigeria Standard, in Abuja.
He said, “We are mobilizing, we will hold peaceful protests across our party secretariats nationwide until the leadership returns to the path of constitutionality.
“We were preparing to hold our protest when we heard that another group from the South West who were not satisfied with the congresses planned to hold theirs today. We suspended ours.
“I believe the police were at the party secretariat to protect everybody not to stop peaceful protest which is recognized in the constitution.”
