G-7 Governors Defy Police, Meet in Abuja

BY ANDREW AGBESE,

Security agents said to be acting on 'orders from above' yesterday failed to disperse a meeting of the group of seven (G-7) governors at the Kano governor's lodge in Asokoro, Abuja. Governors Muazu Babangida Aliyu, Rabiu Musa kwanwaso, Sule Lamido, Rotimi Amaechi, Governor Murtala Nyako and some top leaders of the new Peoples Democratic Party (nPDP) including the chairman of the group Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje were among those at the meeting.

Witnesses told Daily Trust that no sooner had the meeting begun by 7pm yesterday than four trucks load of armed policemen arrived at the lodge and demanded to be allowed into the premise. The witnesses said the policemen who were led by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Asokoro Police unit CSP Nnanna Amah were stopped by the security details of the five governors who had manned the gate. As commotion ensued in the process of stopping the policemen from entering the premises, the governors who were irked by the noise from outside came out to see what was happening. They were thus told that policemen were at the lodge demanding to be allowed into the venue of the meeting. The governors then invited the leader of the police team CSP Amah into lodge to brief them on his mission, and he was said to have told them that he had orders to stop the meeting or arrest them. The governors were said to have challenged him, saying they were free under the Constitution of the Federal Republic to associate, but that if he thought otherwise he could go ahead and arrest them. The DPO was said to have stood for a while and retreated, leaving his men behind while the meeting continued.

Governor Kwankwaso who spoke to newsmen at the end of the meeting with officials of the party, confirmed the incident, saying the DPO told them that he had orders from the Presidency to stop their meeting or arrest them.

What's this supposed to be now, politics of intimidation. Na wa o.