selective enforcement of its ban on political, socio-cultural and
religious rallies at the nation's airports.
The party said this did not augur well for the 2015 general elections
which required the police to be neutral and professional in carrying
out their duties.
This was contained in a statement by the APC's Interim National
Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
According to the party, the police are wrong to have allowed the
ruling Peoples Democratic Party to flout the ban with impunity on
February 1, when hundreds of the party's members trooped to the Bauchi
Airport to welcome the new PDP National Chairman, Adamu Mu'azu.
The party said a video footage of the reception showed PDP supporters,
their cultural troops and praise singers besieging the airport and
even surrounding the plane just like passengers would have surrounded
a "molue" in a bus stop.
It observed that armed policemen stationed at the airport looked on as
the ban, which was contained in a statement issued by the force
spokesman, Frank Mba, on November 6, 2013, was being flouted by the
PDP members.
"The questions to ask are: Is the ban not applicable to the PDP? If it
is applicable to it, what has the police done to sanction the party
since it breached the order over two weeks ago? If the police will
allow the PDP to get away with such lawlessness, can the same police
sanction any other party or individual who breaches their order
banning rallies at airports?" the APC asked.
The party said the double standard being exhibited by the police was
the reason many Nigerians were saying that the Nigeria Police Force
had turned itself to the enforcement arm of the PDP or that the force
had even merged with the party.
The statement read in part, "This does not augur well for the image of
the police and it sends a wrong signal about whether the police can be
neutral and professional before, during and after the 2015 elections.
It also raises doubt about the ability of the police to effectively
carry out its constitutional duty of ensuring the protection of lives
and property.
"The police ridicules themselves and wear down their own authority
when they pander to the PDP, whereas the force is being maintained by
tax payers, whether or not they belong to the ruling party.
"The police, more than perhaps any other government agency, should
know that no one, no matter how highly placed, is above the law, and
that lawful orders from the police are not for selective enforcement."
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