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CNPP condemns withdrawal of Atiku’s security aides

April 9, 2009

The Conference of Political Parties (CNPP) has condemned the withdrawal of police security aides attached to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

 In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Osita Okechuku in Abuja yesterday, the CNPP said the withdrawal of former Vice President Abubakar’s security aides is another disturbing evidence of the growing intolerance of the PDP government for alternative opinions on the affairs of the country.

Noting the explanation of the Nigeria Police Command on the withdrawal of the security aides of the former Vice President, the CNPP said the explanation of the command is suspect because the action was taken against a background of   Atiku’s patriotic comments on the duplicity of the PDP government on the issue of electoral reforms and the deterioration of the living standards of Nigerians under the PDP government.

“Whereas the Conference of Nigeria Political Parties acknowledges the dire need for police reform, we condemn the barbaric and reckless manner in which the security aides of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s were withdrawn, thus exposing him to danger and avoidable harm.



“We note the African proverb which states that “the witch cried in the night and the child dies in the morning, who does not know that the witch is responsible for the death of the child?”.

 “In other words, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s patriotic and sincere comments on the dangerous slide of our democracy into a one party dictatorship prompted the desperation of the President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s administration into the despotic and barbaric withdrawal of his security aides

“We condemn the brigandage and abuse of power demonstrated on this issue by the PDP-led federal government. Democracy thrives only when all the flowers are allowed to blossom

 “Nigeria is the only country that we can call our own and we cannot fold our arms and allow anti-democratic elements in the PDP to put our country and future at risk.

“We call on the Yar’Adua government to order the return of the security aides of the former Vice President Abubakar immediately. We also counsel the government to embark on a genuine reform of the Nigeria Police rather than exploit the police as an institution to embarrass and intimidate people who differ with it on issues of governance.

 “The CNPP wishes to state also that the government should reverse itself on the electoral reform and bring back those provisions recommended by the Justice Uwais Panel. Anything short of this is a disservice to the nation. The present electoral report announced by the Yar’Adua government is self-serving and can neither guarantee free and fair election nor the emergence of legitimate and competent government.

 “The nation cannot afford to continue groping in the dark as we have done in the last two years of President Yar’Adua government.”

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