The All Progressives Congress (APC) on Monday explained that the heavy security presence stationed at the ruling party’s national secretariat in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital was deployed to strengthen security.
Senator John Akpanudoedehe, Secretary, APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) said it was nothing to be worried about, adding that, the police deployment was to strengthen security at the party’s secretariat.
“The police are here to strengthen the security for the leadership of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led APC CECPC.
“Whenever you have a security situation or report, you take precautions to protect lives and property.
“APC cannot be embarrassed because we are the national government; therefore we take measures to forestall any negative happenings.
“We have a security report, and you can’t expect us to call thugs to defend the national secretariat, the right thing to do is to inform the police and the State Security Service (SSS) and that is what we have done,” he said.
Akpanudoedehe said the APC could not underestimate the security report and could not play down on it.
He added that the party would continue to take measures to protect the lives and prosperity of its members and Nigerians generally.
He said the party would begin to observe full compliance to the COVID-19 protocols to prevent the infection of the delta variant.
The APC secretary said it was the responsibility of the CECPC as managers of the party to put measures in place to protect lives and property.
He, however, advised that no one should take anything for granted, saying that every security report must be taken seriously.
“We just have to put everything in place, even the ones that are not verifiable.
“What we consider to be a threat is not what you consider to be a threat, a mere word that you passed by, we would heighten it because we don’t want to be embarrassed.
“This is APC that produced the national Government.
“We cannot embarrass the president, we cannot embarrass the government of APC and we cannot embarrass ourselves.
He assured party members that the Buni-led CECPC was not in any way threatened as being reported in some quarters, adding that its chairman is as firm as ever.
(NAN)