APC To Meet Over Threats To Amaechi, Others From Military, DSS

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News, Nigeria 2015 Election Tuesday, December 30th, 2014

*Plans To Inaugurate Amaechi’s Campaign Committee Friday

Top echelon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are to meet in Abuja between today and Wednesday to discuss what they considered as threat from the government circles against some of their officials.

Newspot learnt in Abuja that the APC leaders resolved to meet on the basis of reports they were said to have obtained on plans by the officials of government to arrest some of the leaders.

The meeting, according to top members who spoke in separate chats with our correspondents would review the status quo ante in the party as well as the threat from the security departments with a view to taking necessary actions meant to keep APC on the stream of action as it prepares for the February general election.

APC members told Newspot Nigeria that officials of the party who handle critical assignments would be strongly advised during the meeting to avoid any acts or comments capable of causing more disaffection against the party as part of ploy to avoid playing into the hands of the government.

This is coming amid plans by the party to inaugurate its Campaign Committee headed by the governor of Rivers State Rotimi Amaechi this week.

The security departments in Nigeria have of late been indicating their displeasure to public utterances credited to some APC leaders, most especially the governor of Rivers state on state of insecurity in Nigeria.Amaechi had been accused of making remarks capable of encouraging mutiny within among military personnel, latching on to his expressed opinion that officers who were assigned to fight insurgency in Nigeria without weapons had the right to protest.

Not long ago, military authorities handed death sentences to some Army officials for disobeying the Military command while on duty to fight Boko Haram in the north-east zone of the federation.

A twit on behalf of some of the embattled soldiers which read; “We protested that we did not have weapons to fight, what we got instead were death sentences”, which went viral some few days ago had caused incendiary comments from across Nigeria against the government.

The Department of State Security (DSS) in a press statement on Monday warned those it described as politicians to desist from making comments against constituted authorities in Nigeria, as the Spokesperson said the warning would be the last to politicians involved.

The spokesperson, Merlin Ogar “Of particular interest is the statement of a serving governor calling on men of the armed forces to rise up in protest against constituted authority.’’

The spokeswoman said such were made with the intent to undermine the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, adding “Such actions are irresponsible, selfish and against our collective wellbeing as a nation.

Ogar said the statement served as last warning to “Those seeking to truncate the nation’s democracy by their careless and mischievous utterances and urge them to retrace their steps immediately.

She added sternly, “This Service and indeed all security agencies will not rest on their oars and are committed to the successful conduct of the 2015 general elections in Nigeria’’, she add

In a similar vain, the Defence Headquarters in a statement signed by Major General Chris Olukolade said “In view of the series of insinuations, allegations and false claims being made by certain activists and politicians on the legal and disciplinary process in the Nigerian military, the Defence Headquarters finds it necessary to call on politicians to avoid using the forum or medium of their political campaigns to incite or endorse acts of indiscipline in the nation’s military establishments.

“This call has become necessary as the trend got to another level on Tuesday when a prominent politician declared that “The soldiers have the right to protest for the Federal Government’s failure to fully equip them of any doubt, the military institution rejects this declaration and its intention in all ramifications.

“The military law as recognized by the Constitution of the Federation is an appropriate legal document for the management of affairs of the military. The processes it outlines for handling military offences remain legal and will continue to be applied in the interest of the nation’s security and democracy.

“Individuals and interest groups seeking to play to the gallery by being meddlesome, sensational or mischievous in interpreting developments in the military are advised to moderate their activities with some decorum.”