Police: Why we withdrew Tambuwal’s security

Police authorities say they withdrew security aides to Aminu Tambuwal, speaker of the house of representatives, on Thursday because he flouted the Nigerian constitution.

In a terse statement by Emmanuel Ojukwu, the acting police spokesman, the force said: “In view of the recent defection by the Right Honourable Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, CFR, the speaker of the house of representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, from the People Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressive Congress (APC), and having regard to the clear provision of section 68(1)(g) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has redeployed its personnel attached to his office.”

A similar scenario occurred in 2004, at the height of the power struggle between Chris Ngige, the then governor of Anambra state, and his godfather, Chris Uba.

The Anambra state house of assembly had accepted “a resignation letter” by Ngige – the governor denied, by the way, saying it was “fabricated”.

The federal government, under Olusegun Obasanjo, president at the time, immediately withdrew Ngige’s security details, two days after an order by an Enugu high court.

However, when the court of appeal sitting in Enugu nullified the withdraw and ordered a reinstatement, it took more than a week for the Nigeria police force to comply.

Ngige, though, eventually left office in March 2006 – 33 months into office – after the court of appeal upheld the election tribunal’s invalidation of his victory at the 2003 poll.

Peter Obi of the All Progressives Congress (APGA) replaced him as governor on March 17, 2006.