PDP WAR: Police Seal Off Rebel's Secretariat?

A detachment of armed policemen has been drafted to the secretariat of the new faction of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja to seal off the secretariat.

The office building located at Plot 320, off Onyi River Crescent Maitama was opened by the Kawu Baraje led of the PDP that broke away last week from the special convention of the party.

An Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and police Hilux vehicles were stationed around the building to prevent anyone from entering or leaving the building.

The leadership of the breakaway faction of the party last week told the media that the new office of the would be opened but refused to give details on the date and the location of the office for security reasons.

But this afternoon the secretariat with the inscription New Peoples Democratic Party was covered ready for launch when policemen invaded the area. All the access roads leading to the building was cordoned off by the security operatives uniform and mufti.

The Abubakar Baraje-led PDP has described the closure of its head office in Abuja by the police as the height of impunity.

A statement issued by the National Secretary of the Baraje-led group, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola said security forces were mobilised to seal off the office on Saturday based on a non-existent court injunction which the Tukur faction claimed to have obtained on Friday.

"The whole world knows that Justice E. Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja on Friday refused to grant Alhaji Bamanga Tukur's application for an ex parte injunction against our party's executive. The Judge asked parties to maintain the status quo. His judgement was a reinforcement of an early order of the Lagos High Court which also asked parties to maintain the status quo. Now, should Nigerians conclude that Tukur's interpretation of status quo is this crude display of naked power and undisguised impunity?

"We are not at all surprised at this occurrence given the fact that Tukur issued a statement on Friday evening deliberately seeking to mislead the media and the public that Justice Chukwu granted him an injunction against us. We are happy that the ever vigilant Nigerian press ignored him and his falsehood. Now, he is not only wilfully disobeying the various courts which have made pronouncements on this matter, he is spicing up his love for impunity with this reckless misuse of state power by misleading the police.

"We call for an immediate removal of the siege to our secretariat. We call on the Inspector General of police to order the immediate removal of his men from our office. Doing so, we believe, will serve the interest of justice, rule of law and democracy. We say police action in this respect is a clear contempt of court and an affront on the rights of members of the party. Nigeria is a country ruled by law and not by might and force.

"We hasten to say that if this move is aimed at breaking our spirit, that goal is definitely off the mark. We are determined to rescue our party from the lawlessness and crass arrogance that have defined the character of the Tukur leadership since inception. Our party needs that deliverance, its members deserve the change we have brought into it," the statement said.
 
The statement wondered why Tukur, who appeared before the party's elders on Friday ostensibly in search of peace, could, in less than 12 hours later, start another round of acts of impunity.

Signed:
Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola
National Secretary.

Source: Sahara Reporters