#TrackNigeria: The Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Ebonyi, has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) over alleged police refusal to approve
The party, therefore, urged the Nigeria Police Force to provide security orderly to the party’s governorship candidate in the March 2, governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
The party’s position was contained in a petition addressed to the IGP dated January 18, a copy made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abakaliki.
The petition signed by the party’s lawyer, Mr Oduma Ugochukwu on behalf of SDP said that non approval of the written request for security orderly had exposed its governorship candidate in the forthcoming election to security risks.
The party also appealed to the police authority to deploy police officers to man the security of its state party secretariat in Abakaliki.
The petition titled: `Security Alarm’, said the party was worried that while governorship candidates of other political parties were given adequate security, the police in the state had refused to accord SDP candidate the same right.
thereby exposing him to danger and risks.
The petition read in part: ”We have the brief of the Social Democratic Party, Ebonyi Chapter and it is on their instructions that we write this petition.
”Our client informed us, and we believe them, that the police in Ebonyi have refused to give the party’s governorship candidate security, several applications and approval notwithstanding.
”The party wrote application requesting for police orderly for its governorship candidate and police security at its party’s secretariat in Abakaliki on Nov. 5 which was approved by Mr Musa Kimo, former Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi but was not acted on.
”Another application was made on Dec. 21 and there is yet no response from the police to date.
”The party in Ebonyi is worried that while candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are given adequate security, the police have refused to accord SDP candidate the same right.
”This development is worrisome and has exposed our client to danger and risks.
”We have observed with dismay that while even quarry sites, event centers, party offices and residential quarters of some ‘favoured’ public and private homes are provided with police security in the state, our candidate and party’s office are denied same.
”This is is against the spirit of the meetings and peace accord political parties signed with the police in Ebonyi.
”It is also against the directives of your office that all contestants and political parties should be given fair and equal police protection nationwide.
”Our client as a law abiding citizen cannot resort to self-help and hence this petition.”
Ugochukwu added that the party and its governorship candidate might be constrained to seek legal action at the court unless urgent attention was given to their request.
Meanwhile, Mrs Lovett Odah, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Ebonyi Command, when contacted said she was unaware of the application by SDP or its governorship candidate for police orderly.
She however, urged citizens with genuine complaints to channel such to appropriate police authorities.
”The IGP released a guideline for applying for police orderly; high profile citizens wishing to have police security must direct applications to IGP through the Commissioner of Police of the state.
”The application will contain reasons such an individual or entity is applying for police security.
”Police Force is a neutral organisation poised to ensure an election without tension in the forthcoming general elections,” Odah said. (NAN)
