Atiku, Tinubu, Obi demand security beef-up, reject campaign suspension

The Presidential campaign organisations of the Peoples Democratic Party, the All Progressives Congress and the Labour Party have demanded increased security on campaign grounds.

Speaking against the backdrop of the terror alerts issued on Sunday by the United States Mission and British High Commission in Nigeria, the councils also insisted that they would not suspend their rallies.

The groups spoke to The PUNCH on Monday on behalf of their presidential candidates; Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, Bola Tinubu (APC) and Peter Obi of the LP.

This is as the police pledged to deploy more personnel on campaign grounds and strengthen security nationwide.

The US and the UK in the security alerts warned their citizens in Nigeria about the risk of attacks by terrorists across the country, especially in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The warnings noted that the targets might include government buildings, places of worship, schools, markets, shopping malls, hotels, bars, restaurants, sports gatherings, transport terminals, law enforcement facilities, and international organizations.

But speaking on the development, the PDP vowed to go ahead with its campaigns in preparation for the 2023 general elections.

A spokesperson for the PDP council, Kola Ologbondiyan, tasked the Federal Government to provide adequate security not just at campaign rallies but across the length and breadth of the country.

He said, “We have no plan to suspend our campaigns because of this terror alert. We will continue to take our message to rescue our country to all Nigerians wherever they are. We are determined to win this election come 2023. So, suspending campaigns because of this is totally unnecessary.’’

Asked if the party needs extra protection at its campaign grounds on account of the terror alerts, the former PDP National Publicity Secretary stated, “We can’t ask for any extra protection but it behoves on the Federal Government to provide security for all of us. That we are members of the opposition does not stop them from protecting us.’’

LP tasks agencies

This comes as the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Abayomi Arabambi said the police must provide security at rallies, noting that the party had written to the police for protection.

“Although officially we have written for protection, we will not mind taking private security (guards) who will be loyal to the cause,’’ he stated.

He added, "With or without the US security advisory alert, Labour Party is already under attack from the APC-led Federal Government. Our supporters were attacked in Lagos, Bayelsa and Ebonyi during rallies and even recently by the Iyaloja General of Lagos in conjunction with Governor Sanwo-Olu where our members trade. They were forced to pay N5,000 for the Tinubu rally. If you cannot pay, they take over their shops. It was all over the media, yet security agencies closed their eyes to this.”

But Emeka Obasi, media aide to Labour Party’s candidate, Peter Obi, on Monday gave condition for suspending the rallies.

Obi’s media aide believes campaigns and rallies should not be sacrificed for human lives.

He said, “These are human lives we are talking about. I think it is high time all the presidential candidates in this election sat the president down and discuss the insecurity issue. Otherwise, it is not going to be business as usual for people to go out anyhow for rallies.

“What if along the way, something happens to some people? Imagine if a bomb blast goes off somewhere, every party, not just LP, is likely to postpone or cancel their campaign outright. Insecurity is a very serious issue.

“On our part, we are not taking the security alert lightly because this is coming directly from the US Intelligence. For an American government to issue a such alert, it is not for nothing. Terror is terror everywhere. Nobody is safe.

“This is why I mentioned earlier that my principal is not something that will ignore this kind of threat and pretend all is well.

“But I can assure you that if there are some flashpoints or areas that are not safe for the campaign, my principal will stop it. He doesn’t like risking people’s lives.”

APC PCC

Similarly, the Spokesperson for Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo explained that the council had a security directorate that could handle any safety issues during the APC rallies.

“We have a directorate that is in charge of security. That is one of the reasons the particular directorate was set up. Any proactive steps regarding security threat, they will take care of it adequately,’’ the Minister of State, Labour and Employment stated.

When asked if the party would suspend its rallies because of the security advisory, Keyamo said, “We have not taken any of such decision yet. But I don’t think there is any cause for alarm.”

On what strategies would be deployed in the light of the latest terror alert by the US, Keyamo said such measures cannot be discussed publicly.

“You know security matters cannot be discussed in public. All I can assure you is that we have a security department, which will take care of such threats adequately,’’ he added.

But a member of the APC PCC, Nichola Felix, in an interview with The PUNCH, said there was no need to suspend campaigns. He, however, advised that security should be beefed up at campaigns.

Felix, who is the Deputy Youth coordinator of the APC PCC, stated, “I don’t think the alert is strong enough to want to make the APC cancel any campaign. But, of course, there will be a need to reinforce. I was just watching on TV how the DSS was telling everybody to be at alert. I want to believe every political party will take extra precaution because of this.

On the need to deploy more policemen and soldiers, the former presidential aspirant stated, “We should be expecting that. But it is not strong enough to call for outright cancellation of campaign or rallies. After all, the Federal Government did not say people shouldn’t gather. It only said people should be at alert.”

NNPP security panel

The Presidential Campaign Spokesman of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, Ladipo Johnson, said his party was mindful of the security situation, adding that the council had a security committee tasked with the responsibility of ensuring NNPP members’ safety at the rallies.

He further explained that the party would not endanger its members, adding that the council would request police or military support if needed.

Johnson stated, "We have a robust security committee that has been set up for such a purpose. Where there is a need for police and soldiers’ protection, we will get it. I am sure part of the announcement that will be aired on Thursday will address it.

"We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that our venues are safe and secured. We pray that by and large, we do not lose people unnecessarily from whichever party, not just NNPP, during this period.