Police warns politicians, supporters plotting to scuttle presidential inauguration

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) on Monday issued a warning to political figures, as well as to their allies and proxies, who it said were preparing to obstruct Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s inauguration as president on May 29.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, told reporters at the Force Headquarters in Abuja that the warning was necessary to address some crucial security issues that have recently dominated the internal security space and the potential to jeopardise democracy in the country.

Baba, who vowed to do everything in his power to defend democracy alongside other security personnel, claimed that some powerful political figures were publicly threatening to sabotage the May 29 inauguration ceremony because they were unhappy with the results of the recent elections.

According to him, the Nigerian police and the intelligence community cannot fold their hands to watch “political actors with subversive agenda and their collaborators, particularly their foot soldiers, who they are exposing to political radicalisation and extremism to, henceforth, jettison their ongoing premeditated attempts to create tension within the national space with intention of derailing the 29th May 2023 Presidential Inauguration Ceremony.”

He said, “Following the successful conclusion of the 2023 general elections, it has been observed that some major political actors that the outcome did not favour, have been issuing public threats that are directed at instigating actions to frustrate the presidential inauguration ceremony on 29th May, 2023.

“The Nigeria Police and the national intelligence community have been closely monitoring the activities of these political elites as well as other elements, who have formed themselves into unpatriotic brands, whose only fantasy, in recent times, is to subvert our national security interests.

“In so doing, they seem to be bent on deploying extra-judicial and undemocratic means to truncate our democratic heritage in advancement of their narrow personal political considerations.

“The beauty of democracy lies not just in the freedom of the citizens to freely exercise their franchise within the electoral cycle:

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“It is also hinged on the right of aggrieved political actors to submit grievances on the electoral outcome to the judicial process for consideration.”

The IGP further noted that the security agencies would no longer tolerate any utterance capable of throwing the country into turmoil, adding that any political actor, who does not heed the warning, will be made to face the wrath of the law.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the imperative of peace in our national life cannot be over-emphasised. Sustenance of peace and security is even more expedient at this stage in our national democratic transition.

“Consequently, while the Nigeria Police, in synergy with other security agencies and the intelligence community, continues to closely monitor the activities of these political elements, it has become expedient to make some clear statements.

“Firstly, the Nigeria Police hereby sternly warns all political actors with subversive agenda and their collaborators, particularly their foot soldiers, who they are exposing to political radicalisation and extremism to, henceforth, jettison their ongoing premeditated attempts to create tension within the national space with intention of derailing the 29th May 2023 presidential inauguration ceremony.

“Secondly, any such persons, regardless of their political affiliations, who continuously engage in acts that are inimical to our nation’s democratic and security interests, should not be in doubt on the firm determination of the Nigeria Police under my watch to closely collaborate with the law enforcement family and the intelligence community to defend our democracy, keep the internal security order stable and optimally deploy our common unique assets towards guaranteeing the successful conduct of the presidential inauguration ceremony.”

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