Opposition Parties Threaten Protest If Idris Remains In Office As IG After January 15

Opposition political parties under the auspices of Coalition of United Political Parties have threatened to embark on a nationwide protest from January 15 if President Muhammadu Buhari
does not name a new Inspector-General of Police.
The parties stated this on Sunday in a statement by the CUPP’s first national spokesman, Imo Ugochinyere, in Abuja on the continued stay in office of Ibrahim Idris as the IGP, after his tenure was due to have ended on January 3, 2019 after
putting in 35 years into service. Ugochinyere said CUPP’s position was that the position of the IGP was vacant with Idris deemed to have retired having served for 35 years. He said the nation’s constitution did not make provision for a former police officer to be an IG.
He claimed that by parading himself as the IG after January 3, Idris was committing a crime of impersonation, describing the act as a threat to
national security. Ugochinyere said the protests would start once
Idris was seen in police uniform around the force headquarters from January 15.
The statement said: “This means that with the reaching of the mandatory retirement age of 35 years of active service on January 3, 2019 and the mandatory retirement age of 60 years while in service by the IG (which comes up on January 15, 2019), the IG is constitutionally barred from being retained or reappointed as the IG as he is
no longer a serving police officer.
“His continued stay in office is illegal and an act of impersonation as there is no legal or documentary evidence to back up his stay as the
IG.
“We call on President Buhari to be courageous to announce the replacement and not bow to the pressure to cement illegality in the core of the nation’s security architecture due to his desperation to rig himself back to power knowing he has been rejected by the Nigerian people.
“The uncertainty in the leadership of the police in such auspicious moment emboldens persons with sinister motives and demoralises senior officers of the force due to this abrupt and unlawful halt to their career progression.
“The law is clear on who can be appointed as the Inspector-General of Police and who cannot be appointed as Inspector-General of Police and Mr Ibrahim Idris is now in the latter group.
“It is flowing from this and to save our dear country from further drift from a government that lacks capacity to provide leadership to our country that the secretariat of CUPP hereby directs all coalition members in the 36 states to
begin preparation for nationwide protests from January 15 if the retired IG is seen dressed in police uniform around the Force Headquarters.
“The protests will be in front of the police
command headquarters of every state and shall be continuous till the right thing is done.
“During the protests, there shall be a declaration that since Mr Ibrahim Idris is no longer a police officer, he cannot be addressed as the IG and a call to him to steer clear of the Force Headquarters.
“By January 15, Mr Ibrahim Idris would have attained both 35 years (January 3, 2019) in service and 60 years of age (January 15, 2019) and he would have been roundly unqualified to occupy the office of the Inspector-General of
Police.
“Finally, we call on President Buhari that he should realise now that he would be held personally responsible if there is a breakdown of law and order, loss of lives and property if he continues down this path of noxious plots to rig himself into power. A word is enough for the
wise!”