Jonathan May Sack Police IG For Not Helping PDP

There were indications that the Presidency is unhappy with the Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, for alleged security and protocol breaches that made it difficult for PDP to rig and win.

Forces in government have started mounting pressure on President Goodluck Jonathan to drop the IGP.

Investigation revealed that there had been disquiet in the Presidency over certain steps IGP Abba took during the presidential poll and since Jonathan conceded defeat to the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari.

Powerful forces in government are disturbed that 

with the exception of Rivers, Delta, Cross River, Ekiti, Akwa Ibom and the entire South-East region, the Nigeria Police did not act the election script written for the force in strategic states like Lagos, Oyo, Ondo, Ogun, Osun, Borno, Kaduna and Kwara.

The IGP was said to have instructed the Divisional Police Officers in Lagos to comply with the directive of the Commissioner of Police in Lagos and not any Assistant Inspector-General of Police.

It was gathered that upon the  refusal of the police to compromise, the Presidency was angry that the IGP was at the presentation of certificate of return to Buhari by INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega.

The Presidency had also noted that Abba was at the airport at a time to receive the President-elect.

A source said that what really “pissed off” the Presidency was the leakage of the presidential directive to redeploy Assistant Inspector-General Tunde Ogunsakin from Rivers State on the eve of April 11 governorship poll.

The covert decision was said to have been taken in the Presidency by three officials, including the IGP.

A reliable source said: “There is disquiet in the Presidency on whether or not to drop the IGP for certain missteps. Some forces are angry that the police failed to back the status quo in some states during the recently-concluded poll.

“I think the IGP chose a neutral position and opted to live up to his oath of office during the election. The IGP’s presence during the presentation of certificate of return to Buhari left many presidency officials dazed because it was alleged not to be within his official “mandate.”

“The presence of the IGP at the National Collation Centre with Buhari was rated as a partisan move and a provocative initiative.

“Some forces in the Presidency believe that IGP Abba should be asked to step aside. The leakage on the redeployment of AIG Tunde Ogunsakin from Rivers State on the eve of April 11 governorship poll has fueled the demand for IGP’s sack.”

But Jonathan is not ready to get into any trouble with Buhari as he knows how power the president is.

Another source added: “The President might not bow to the demand by some forces to drop the IGP because he is not a vendetta person. He has decided to leave the fate of the IGP and other service chiefs to his successor.

A police source said: “You see, the IGP made sure that the police force was non-partisan throughout the election period, and this was a departure from the practice in 1983, 1993, 2003, 2007 and 2011 polls. Naturally, some government officials, governors and politicians will not be happy at all. This IGP is professionally inclined and he has been enforcing this.

“If you look at his antecedents even when Rivers State was volatile, he made sure that he was non-partisan. Up till today, the people of Rivers State still celebrate IGP Abba for his professionalism."

Responding to a question, the source added: “How can any IGP ignore the President-elect at any airport? Is Gen. Buhari not a former Head of State? Does he not deserve respect as an elder statesman? All these issues they are raising are petty.”