LAW ENFORCEMENT 21/02/2023
2023 Polls: PSC Withdraws Naja’atu As North-West Coordinator For Monitoring Police Conduct
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has withdrawn the appointment of Hajia Naja’atu Mohammed as the coordinator for the North-West in the forthcoming general elections.
PSC spokesperson, Ikechukwu Ani, said in a statement on Monday that the withdrawal was due “to a press statement by the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council on the appointment of Hon. Commissioner Najatu Mohammed, representing women interest and the North-West in the commission as one of the coordinators for the monitoring of Police conduct in the February 25th presidential election which the council accused of partisanship.”
The statement further added “the commission has however decided to mandate assistant inspector-general of police, Bawa Lawal (retd) who is from the same geopolitical zone with commissioner Najatu to take over the coordination of the monitoring of Police conduct in the zone.”
The statement reads in part that “the attention of the Police Service Commission has been drawn to a press statement by the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential campaign council on the appointment of Hon. commissioner Najatu Mohammed, representing women interest and the North West in the commission as one of the coordinators for the monitoring of Police conduct in the February 25th presidential election which the council accused of partisanship.
“The statement signed by Festus Keyamo, director of public affairs and chief spokesperson Tinubu/Shettima presidential campaign council, rejected the appointment of commissioner Najatu as coordinator for the exercise.
“The campaign council spokesperson stated in the press statement that the appointment is not only ‘callous, it is insensitive, openly confrontational and consequently unacceptable by the Tinubu/Shettima presidential campaign council.’
“The commission wishes to state with all sense of responsibility that it’s commissioners representing different geopolitical zones have always supervised assignments of the commission in the geopolitical zones they represent. It was the same with the present national assignment.
“The commission will always be sensitive to the wishes of Nigerians and will continue to contribute it’s quota to the sustenance of the nation’s democracy.
“It wishes to restate it’s commitment to a free and fair 2023 elections where the Police as the lead agency in internal security which includes election policing will discharge it’s duties according to the dictates of the law.”
