Lamido confronted DPO who disrupted rebel govs’ meeting

A two-minute 22 seconds video detailing the encounter between five of the seven rebel governors in the breakaway faction of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Divisional Police Officer of Asokoro Division, Abuja surfaced on YouTube on Monday.

The DPO, Mr. Nnanna  Ama, was said to have led a detachment of policemen in three trucks to the  Kano State Governor’s Lodge where governors Rabiu Kwakwanso (Kano), Chibuike Amaechi (Rivers), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Aliyu Babangida (Niger), and Murtala Nyako (Adamawa) were having a meeting.

In the video, Lamido was seen shouting at the top of his voice when Ama, who was putting on an orange T-shirt, walked into the meeting venue in company with some plain clothes policemen.

Ama,  who had asked to see the host, the Kano State governor, might have resorted to speak with Kwankwaso in private on noticing the way and manner still and video cameras  were directed at him as he insisted that he wanted to see “his Excellency.”

But Lamido,  who was sitting on a sofa,  hit the table intermittently and yelled at Ama,  saying, “The governor (Kwankwaso) is here. Talk to him. What do you want from him? We are meeting alright. So, talk to him.”

At a point Lamido,  who was obviously infuriated, stood up and ordered some of their security aides,  who were in suit, to push the DPO out of the meeting venue.

One of the people sitting next to Babangida held Lamido in the hands and led him back to sit down.

“Push them (DPO and his men) out,” Lamido yelled.

One of their (rebel governor’s) security aides,  who wanted to take action after Lamido gave the order,  looked at the DPO eye-ball to-eyeball and asked, “What do you want?”

But the DPO replied that he had informed him before being taken before the governors.

“I have told you,” Ama replied, nodding his head.

In the course of the said invasion, Ama,  who was seen smiling at intervals,  tried to move in the direction of Lamido. But two of the security aides present held him from the back and prevented him from going further.

However, a scuffle was prevented as Ama,  who appeared to have been treading cautiously, simply moved back without challenging the duo. Lamido reiterated his order and shouted again, “Get out. Who the hell is he?”

While the video lasted, some of the aides who witnessed the scenario were heard from the background asking if the DPO’s mission was to arrest the governors and other members of the breakaway faction attending the meeting.

Amaechi, who was also present at the meeting, was sighted in the video discussing and gesticulating with other attendees. At another time, Amaechi was seen rubbing his palms.

Kwankwaso,  who crossed his legs while the altercations lasted,  hinted that he was available to be briefed on the DPO’s mission.

“You can talk to me,” Kwankwaso told the DPO, who soon moved towards the governor  to have a discussion with him. The video later went dead.

Meanwhile, mixed reactions have greeted the alleged disruption of the rebel governor’s meeting, with some people arguing that police “invasion” of the venue was a breach of their constitutional right to freedom of association and peaceful gathering. But others argued that since a court of law had declared the New PDP illegal it ought to have put a stop to calling and holding meetings.

A YouTube user,  Adeolu Moronkeji, after viewing the video, wrote that it was wrong for a police officer to harass democratically elected governors who enjoy constitutionally guaranteed immunity on the orders of the powers that be.

She added that the invasion bore the hallmarks of the Presidency.

“This is very embarrassing. Is Nigeria a God-forsaken country? It appears that the era of totalitarianism and fascism is looming in Nigeria. GEJ na wa o!” Morenikeji wrote.

Also, on punchng.com, a reader with the name Gidi stated, “ If the New PDP is illegal, does it mean old friends cannot meet anymore? Is it that the powers that be don’t understand the fundamental right called ‘freedom of association’?

“Do they need to take a refresher course on the provisions of Nigeria’s constitution? Are we still under military rule? Even during the Abacha regime people still had some rights of association and movement. When is it a crime for one to host colleagues?”

But also on punchng.com, a reader, Fidel, said it was high time the rebel governors started expending their time and energy on productive endeavours that will better the lot of Nigerians rather than their incessant meetings which, according to him, were heating up the polity.

Gidi wrote, “These rebel governors could have been better appreciated by Nigerians if they have been spending the quality time they expend to transverse the length and breadth of Nigeria on finding a lasting solution to the menace Boko Haram that has ravaged the north.

“Almost on a daily basis, innocent people are being killed but that seems to mean nothing to the eyes of these so-called rebel governors and yet they said that they are fighting for justice. So what justice can be better than saving people’s lives? Instead they are seeking political recognition which is nothing but their selfish desire.”

source: The Punch