The Presidency has on Wednesday night, said that the Police was constitutionally mandated to place the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, and other Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors, under house arrest, and to shutdown the Sharks Stadium, venue of the botched PDP Convention in Port Harcourt, in order to forestall a breakdown of law and order.
Speaking on behalf of the Federal Government, the Force Public Relations Officer, Don Awunah, said the action was a proactive move aimed at safeguarding lives and properties of the crowd at the venue.
Earlier, Fayose had raised an alarm that he and his colleagues were placed under house arrest in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
He said he was not at the Convention ground, because he was placed under house arrest at the old Presidential Lodge of the Government House, Port Harcourt.
Fayose, was absent at the meeting that took place at the Rivers State Secretariat of the PDP, on Aba Road, Port Harcourt, after security agencies sealed off the Sharks Stadium venue of the Convention.
He said an Armoured Personnel Carrier was used to block the gate of the Presidential Lodge.
Fayose’s Media Assistant, Lere Olayinka, claimed that all efforts to get his boss to attend the PDP meeting, were rebuffed by the security personnel. He described the action as unbelievable and unfortunate.
Fayose’s Media Assistant, Lere Olayinka, claimed that all efforts to get his boss to attend the PDP meeting, were rebuffed by the security personnel. He described the action as unbelievable and unfortunate.
Reacting, Awunah, said: “It is not about sealing. We did not just seal. You must understand that the police is a critical stakeholder in democracy within the framework of the Nigerian law and other extant laws.“There were two conflicting court orders, but the primary motive of the police is that there is peace and protection of lives and property. It is not the issue of A and B. It is not an issue of whether you are obeying A or B, but you must be proactive in law enforcement, because at the end of the day, the question you will be asked is; what did you do?”“It is just like a simple scenario of conflict resolution, where there are two contending issues, what do you do? You refer back to the status quo, so that you can move forward, and the status quo here, is that we are maintaining security. That is our primary motive, and we are not taking sides. We cannot take sides on this issue. We are like a referee”.
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