The Police Service Commission (PSC) has withdrawn the appointment of Naja’atu Muhammad, as coordinator of the police in the North-West for the 2023 presidential election.
The Commission had appointed Naja’atu on Sunday, to supervise and coordinate its personnel on election duties in the North-West geopolitical zone of the country.
She recently resigned her membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as well as coordinator of the Civil Society Organisations for the Tinubu/Shettima presidential campaign.
Few weeks back, Naja’atu declared support for the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar.
On Monday, the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the APC rejected her appointment as the PSC Coordinator for North-West.
Demanding immediate withdrawal of the appointment, Chief Spokesperson of the Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo (SAN), noted her strong opposition to the party’s presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
But in a quick response, the PSC, in a statement issued by its Head of Press and Public Relations, Ikechukwu Ani, acknowledged the concerns of the APC and replaced Naja’atu with Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Bawa Lawal (rtd).
The PSC said, “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.
“The Commission has, however, decided to mandate Assistant Inspector General of Police, Bawa Lawal rtd, who is from the same geopolitical zone with Commissioner Naja’atu to take over the coordination of the monitoring of Police Conduct in the zone.
“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.
“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.”
