Tinubu’s inauguration: Police warn politicians planning to disrupt May 29

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF), on Monday, warned political actors as well as their collaborators and foot soldiers plotting to disrupt the presidential inauguration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on May 29, to stop heating the polity.

Speaking with newsmen on Monday, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Usman Alkali Baba, said the warning became necessary to address some critical security issues that have of late dominated the internal security space with the potential of threatening the nation’s democracy.

Baba, who vowed to do everything possible alongside other security operatives to defend democracy, said some major political actors, who are not happy with the outcome of the just concluded elections, are issuing public threats that are directed at instigating actions to frustrate the May 29 inauguration ceremony.

According to him, the Nigerian police and the intelligence community cannot fold their hands to watch “political actors with subversive agenda and their collaborators, particularly their foot soldiers, who they are exposing to political radicalisation and extremism to, henceforth, jettison their ongoing premeditated attempts to create tension within the national space with intention of derailing the 29th May 2023 Presidential Inauguration Ceremony.”

He said, “Following the successful conclusion of the 2023 general elections, it has been observed that some major political actors that the outcome did not favour, have been issuing public threats that are directed at instigating actions to frustrate the presidential inauguration ceremony on 29th May, 2023.

“The Nigeria Police and the national intelligence community have been closely monitoring the activities of these political elites as well as other elements, who have formed themselves into unpatriotic brands, whose only fantasy, in recent times, is to subvert our national security interests.

“In so doing, they seem to be bent on deploying extra-judicial and undemocratic means to truncate our democratic heritage in advancement of their narrow personal political considerations.

“The beauty of democracy lies not just in the freedom of the citizens to freely exercise their franchise within the electoral cycle:

“It is also hinged on the right of aggrieved political actors to submit grievances on the electoral outcome to the judicial process for consideration.”

He noted that the security agencies would no longer tolerate any utterance capable of throwing the country into turmoil, adding that any political actor, who does not heed the warning, will be made to face the wrath of the law.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the imperative of peace in our national life cannot be over-emphasised. Sustenance of peace and security is even more expedient at this stage in our national democratic transition.

“Consequently, while the Nigeria Police, in synergy with other security agencies and the intelligence community, continues to closely monitor the activities of these political elements, it has become expedient to make some clear statements.

“Firstly, the Nigeria Police hereby sternly warns all political actors with subversive agenda and their collaborators, particularly their foot soldiers, who they are exposing to political radicalisation and extremism to, henceforth, jettison their ongoing premeditated attempts to create tension within the national space with intention of derailing the 29th May 2023 presidential inauguration ceremony.