Adamawa PDP Crisis:  R-PDP Leader, Umar Ardo Petitions Inspector General Of Police, Accuses State Police Commissioner Of Bias, Intimidation

Leader of the Adamawa Factional People’s Democratic Party, (r-PDP), in Adamawa State, Dr. Umar Ardo, has written a petition to the Inspector General of Police against the Police Commissioner of Adamawa State Audu Madaki where he accused the Commissioner of compromising the police and taking sides in the ensuing political debacle rocking the state chapter of the party.

According to Ardo, he said the Police Commissioner, Madaki has taken sides with the AT Shehu led party executives and by extension the state government, as he said the police commissioner of has exchanged his cherished police uniform with political garment.

The open letter made available to this medium, Ardo said Police Chief has been harassing, intimidating and arresting members of his faction, an act he said is contrary to constitutional provisions and the spirit of impartiality which the police ought to showcase.

Writing further Ardo said “Wading into our party conflict, the CP started acting more as a politician than a police officer. A good policeman is supposed to be honest, thorough, firm but fair to all parties in the discharge of his duties. But not Mr. Madaki,” he said.

He also accused the police commissioner of passiveness when his faction was attacked at his residence but were quick to take drastic action against his members by preventing them from holding legitimate assembly, and unilaterally arresting his members adding that such action by the police is alien to democratic ethos.

”On behalf of the factional group of the PDP in Adamawa State, we write to express our dissatisfaction and loss of confidence in the way and manner the Adamawa State Police Command under Police Commissioner Audu Madaki has been maltreating our members since we broke ranks with the PDP Chapter of the state last July.

”This is a man who superintends a command to which we formally filed a written complaint of physical attack on our factional group in my house by political thugs wielding dangerous weapons sponsored by the other faction while holding a political meeting penultimate February.

”Six cars were destroyed, my house doors, windows and roofs broken, and individuals hurt. On duly reporting the assault, police came and inspected the scene, took pictures and interviewed witnesses. We gave the police names, telephone numbers and addresses of some of the alleged perpetrators of the crime.

See Full Petition Below:

OPEN LETTER TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE MOHAMMED ADAMU – FRIDAY, 10TH APRIL, 2020

WE HAVE A CASE AGAINST THE ADAMAWA STATE POLICE COMMAND

Dear IGP, Sir,

On behalf of the factional group of the PDP in Adamawa State, we write to express our dissatisfaction and loss of confidence in the way and manner the Adamawa State Police Command under Police Commissioner Audu Madaki has been maltreating our members since we broke ranks with the PDP Chapter of the state last July. Wading into our party conflict, the CP started acting more as a politician than a police officer. A good policeman is supposed to be honest, thorough, firm but fair to all parties in the discharge of his duties. But not Mr. Madaki.

This is a man who superintends a command to which we formally filed a written complaint of physical attack on our factional group in my house by political thugs wielding dangerous weapons sponsored by the other faction while holding a political meeting penultimate February. Six cars were destroyed, my house doors, windows and roofs broken, and individuals hurt. On duly reporting the assault, police came and inspected the scene, took pictures and interviewed witnesses. We gave the police names, telephone numbers and addresses of some of the alleged perpetrators of the crime.

In addition, the next day we went to the police headquarters along with witnesses and further explained in details the situation to the Police Commissioner himself in the presence of his Deputy/Assistant Commissioners and other officers at which we were assured of justice. But to date, not a single person among those we named was even invited for questioning by the Adamawa State Police Command talk less of arrest.

On the other hand, when we failed to agree on our differences and we wanted to inaugurate our own factional leadership at the Lekewal Hotel in Yola on 20th February, 2020, the police command went out of its way to seal the venue that we duly paid for to hold a legitimate political ceremony. Not taking into account that the Nigerian constitution section 69(1)(g) among other sections has given recognition to the right to faction in political parties, in addition to a litany of Supreme Court judgements on this matter, the police acted in this intimidating manner, claiming that our faction was not registered by INEC. Must a faction be registered by INEC before its members have right to meet? What are the requirements by INEC to register a political party anyway? Doesn’t it require among others opening offices and appointing interim leadership with which to approach the commission for registration? How can anyone attain the requirements if the police will deny the installation of leaders and closing their offices? On what law did the police ground its action against us? By what Mr. Madaki is doing, is he not using the police to sabotage our lawful pursuits in alliance with Fintiri’s faction of the PDP?

As if all the havoc he caused us was not enough, yesterday the police commissioner dispatched a team of mobile police that went to my hometown, Kojoli, and closed the factional office, removed the hoisted flags, arrested the factional chairman, Mr. Phillip Buji, and brought and locked him up in Yola. When today we sent a lawyer, Barr. (Cpt.) Husseini Guyuk, to bail Mr. Buji, the lawyer was himself promptly detained. My PA, Abdulsalam Adamu, who took food to them is as well detained by the police. What is their offense, the police claims that a petition was written against us (which we are not served) by the government factional chairman, one AT Shehu, accusing us of creating a faction.

In truth the NWC of the PDP chaired by Prince Uche Secondus wrote and directed that we halt our then ongoing membership registration (which we complied). It then constituted a Conflict Resolution Committee under the chairmanship of the DNC (North), Sen. Nazif Suleiman, to look into the PDP issues in the state and come up with recommendations (which assignment was halted by the current Pandemic Luckdown). Everything is been on halt then the Police moved in with these arrests. What did we do? If CP Madaki wants to support the government faction of the PDP in Adamawa state, let him remove the police uniform he is wearing and come to the field. He’ll be most welcomed. But he cannot be wearing police uniform and playing party politics in the name of the law. Under the present tense situation in the country, and in the state, occasioned by widespread crimes and insecurity, and the Coronavirus pandemic, the police in Adamawa is busy siding with political parties and driving over 125 kilometers to arrest a ward factional chairman. What is the interest of the police seeing that we violated no law?

This is why we are writing this open letter to the IGP to wade into the matter. We respectfully call on the IGP to call the CP Adamawa to order and get him arrest those thugs that attacked us in my house, charge them to court, and either release the Yelli Ward PDP factional chairman, Barr. Guyuk and Mr. Adamu and sincerely apologize, or charge them to court as well. While we avail ourselves for further interrogations, we are appreciative of your prompt action, please.

Thank you, sir.

SIGNED:

Dr. Umar Ardo

(For and on behalf of Adamawa State PDP Faction, Modibbo Raji House, No.2, Lamido Aliyu Way, Jimeta-Yola, Adamawa State. Also No.6, Fredrick Chiluba Close, Asokoro – Abuja).

Cc: AIG, Zone 3.