On the morning of Friday, August 19, 2016, heavily armed policemen prevented bodyguards of President Muhammadu Buhari and members of the Buhari Support Organisation who took part in the campaigns for the 2015 general elections, from entering the Presidential Campaign Office of the All Progressives Congress in the Central Business District of Abuja.
As reported by Punch, mobile police men had taken over the office premises earlier today. The occupants in the office facility were not allowed to go out, neither where outsiders allowed in.
Olabiyi Balogun, the spokesperson of Buhari’s former bodyguards told Punch they had been posted to the Presidential Campaign Office as volunteers.
However, some of the other bodyguards declared that they were supposed to function as protocol staff for the campaign office.
“This (Thursday) morning, two truckloads of mobile policemen were deployed to our office which also houses over 20 people. The police said the instruction was that they should not allow us access to the office and that the people inside should not be allowed to go out.” he said.
Balogun also said that they were promised that they would be given automatic employment in the parliamentary agencies of the Federal Government, should APC come successful in the 2015 presidential election, a promise which has not yet been fulfilled.
“But 16 months after, we have not seen anything to show that a promise was made to us. This is injustice that should be condemned by all Nigerians. We have been fooled. This is another one chance and they can’t get away with it,” he added.
Balogun also mentioned that their disregard would result is a threat to the nation’s security.
“Definitely, it is not just our exclusion that is a security threat to the country. Anything that would deny any man his dues and legitimate rights can be concluded to mean a security threat because when you don’t get your dues and what is rightly due to you, then you are opened to a lot of temptations. So, we are indeed a security threat.” Balogun affirmed.
Joy Ebere Umeh, a woman who claimed that she served as a protocol officer for the obsolete Congress for Progressive Change Presidential Campaign Office in 2011, showed the Punch letters of appointment signed by the Director-General of APC presidential campaign council and now Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.
“l am Joy Ebere Umeh, Protocol officer APC campaign council. We were at the PCC on appointment as we were given letters in February 2015. From the day we resumed office, there was no salary, and there were no allowances.” She said.
