PSC Removes Tinubu’s Critic, Naja’atu From Election Duty

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has revoked the appointment of Hajiya Naja’atu Mohammed, as one of those who will supervise the conduct of police officers during the 2023 general elections.

The Commission had earlier assigned Naja’atu as one of the coordinators who would supervise the conduct of police officers’ affairs in the coming election.

Naija News understands that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) immediately protested her inclusion among 45 coordinators who will monitor the conduct of the police officers on election duty.

In a statement on Monday, the Director of Public Affairs and Spokesman of the APC campaign council, Festus Keyamo, described Naja’atu’s appointment as callous and insensitive, urging PSC to withdraw her appointment immediately.

Keyamo further stated that the appointment was openly confrontational and consequently unacceptable by the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.

A few hours after APC’s reaction, the PSC announced that it had asked a former Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Bawa Lawal (rtd), who is from the same geopolitical zone as Commissioner Najatu, to take over the coordination of the monitoring of Police Conduct in the zone.

The spokesman of the commission, Ikechukwu Ani, confirmed the development to newsmen on Monday evening stating that “the commission will always be sensitive to the wishes of Nigerians and will continue to contribute its quota to the sustenance of the nation’s democracy.”

The PSC official said: “The Commission wishes to state with all sense of responsibility that its commissioners representing different geopolitical zones have always supervised assignments of the commission in the geopolitical zones they represent. It was the same with the present national assignment.

“It wishes to restate its commitment to a free and fair 2023 elections where the Police as the lead Agency in internal security which includes election policing will discharge its duties according to the dictates of the law,” Daily Trust quoted Ani.

Naija News reports that Naja’atu was the former Director of the Civil Society directorate of the Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

She, however, dumped the ruling party weeks ago and has since continued to criticise the APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.