The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday in Abuja tightened security in and around its national secretariat as the party inaugurates elected state chairmen.
Also, human and vehicular movements have been restricted around the secretariat.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the measures were to forestall possible protest during the ceremony.
NAN reports that this move was as a result of crises in some of the party’s state chapters that produced parallel state chairmen at its 2021 State Congresses.
Security operatives took positions on the entire Blantyre Street in Wuse 2 District, Abuja, where the APC national secretariat is located.
The Gov. Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) had on Wednesday night, issued a circular ordering the secretariat staff to stay away from work.
It was gathered that this was part of effort to have a manageable staff for fear of breakdown of law and order.
At the time of filing this report, journalists were also not allowed access to the APC national secretariat.
However, the security operatives were civil in screening a few persons, especially those to be inaugurated.
The elected chairmen’s supporters, who turned up in large numbers, drumming and singing their praises, were also denied access to the secretariat.
One of the operatives told NAN that they were only doing their job as instructed and would not leave anything to chance.
He said the measure was necessary to forestall possible breakdown of law and order.
The crisis that trailed the state congresses necessitated the inauguration of the Sen. Abudulahi Adamu-led National Reconciliation Committee which submitted its interim report on Jan. 31.
Adamu had told newsmen that the committee received 47 petitions as at Jan. 30, adding that some party members were still waiting to submit their petitions.
“We had promised that we will do justice as humanly possible to everybody who is aggrieved through fair hearing.
“And this is what we are doing. We had to come today to submit this interim report because we are acting as Boy Scout. A good Boy Scout obeys before complaints,’’ he had said.
He, however, said that there was still work to be done, adding that reconciliation was a work in progress.
Adamu said the committee could not pretend that it had taken care of every issue that was brought to it.
“Until we get the final report from the national secretariat, we cannot say success, until they declare our work successful.
“We cannot declare our own work successful. We will be more deceitful if we do so. All we can do is to make recommendations as a reconciliation committee,’’ he said.
Buni, chairman of the APC CECPC, while receiving the report, assured that it would be looked into its implementation. (NAN)
