The Police Service Commission (PSC) has announced the removal of Naja’atu Muhammad as the North-West coordinator of the Commission for election duties in the February 25 and March 11 general elections.
PSC spokesman, Ikechukwu Ani, disclosed in a statement on Monday, adding that the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Bawa Lawal who is from the same geopolitical zone with Naja’atu will take over the coordination of the monitoring of police conduct in the zone.
The Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had kicked against the appointment of Naja’atu, a former Director of the Civil Society Directorate of the APC PCC, who openly criticised Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the APC Presidential flag bearer, after she joined the camp of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
The APC PCC had argued that the role given to Naja’atu “requires a honest and unbiased individual who will discharge the duties diligently and without reproach.”
The PSC said Naja’atu’s replacement was in line with its commitment to free and fair elections.
“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.
“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 it’s duties according to the dictates of the law”, the PSC stated.