Why Jonathan Sacked Abba Months After APC Asked For It

8 years ago

Why Jonathan Sacked Abba Months After APC Asked For It

The reasons why President Goodluck Jonathan fired the Inspector-General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has emerged.

Abba, who was appointed as IGP only last year, reportedly made the Presidency angry on the eve of the governorship and House of Assembly elections for allegedly arguing with government officials over the directive to recall the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in Charge of Zone 6, Tunde Ogunshakin, from Rivers State.

The IGP was said to have deployed Ogunshakin from his base in Calabar to Port Harcourt to oversee the governorship election in Rivers State following complaints by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, that the police had collaborated with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to intimidate members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and rig the presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.

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Vanguard reported another source to have said that Abba ignored presidency officials’ objection to the deployment of Ogunshakin to Rivers State on the allegation that the police officer was sympathetic to Amaechi and his party and would, therefore, not allow the PDP win the state.

A Presidency source told Vanguard that on learning that the IG had defied its order by redeploying Ogunshakin to Rivers State to supervise the governorship elections. A presidency official called the former police boss to recall the AIG with immediate effect from Rivers State or face the consequences. But the official could not get through to Abba.

He was said to have told the Presidency that Ogunshakin was a ‘no-nonsense officer’ feared and respected in the Police Force hierarchy and capable of ensuring law and order in the place of new assignment. But his actions, to the presidency, showed he was working to favour the opposition. He was never forgiven for flouting the order on Ogunshakin’s deployment.

Vanguard reported that Abba made matters worse and confirmed the suspicions of the presidency when he attended the presentation of the Certificate of Return to Muhammadu Buhari at the International Conference Centre on April 1, 2015.

However, calls for Abba’s sack had been rife since last year, with the APC one of the first groups pushing for the IGP’s sack. In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Lai Mohammed, the party said: “Abba is presiding over perhaps the most-partisan police force ever in the history of our nation. He has thrown professionalism, neutrality and fairness to the winds and made the police a willing tool in the hands of a frenzied executive.

He cannot be trusted to ensure a level-playing field for all parties at the next general elections, hence he should be removed immediately.”

Abba was sacked yesterday and had since been replaced by a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, who is now acting in his stead.