APC tells members to ignore directive as police impose curfew on Adamawa

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has directed its members and supporters in Adamawa State to defy the curfew imposed by the state police command, dismissing  it as unlawful.

The curfew, announced yesterday by the State Police Commissioner Gabriel Adaji, is supposed to come into effect from tomorrow and run till Tuesday.

APC  National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed,  said last night that  there was no threat to security in the state to warrant the imposition of curfew.

 The party  said  the  last Presidential and National Assembly elections were held without incident or declaration of curfew, wondering what warranted the unlawful curfew declaration.

 ”Imposing an unlawful curfew with effect from when voting ends today is suspect and unacceptable. We are therefore asking all our members and supporters to ignore the curfew, come out en masse to vote and also stay back to defend their votes,” APC said.

 Adaji at a press conference in Yola earlier in the day had said the 6pm-6am stay at home  is  to forestall a breakdown of law and order, following  today’s  governorship/state assembly elections.

 According to him, celebration of any kind by the parties arising from the outcome of the elections would not be allowed during the curfew.

 But the political parties are not taking kindly to  the police action.

They said it is wrong of the police to impose  curfew  when the  collation of results would still be in progress.

 Explaining the police action, Adaji said: “After the last presidential and National Assembly elections, we had some nasty and ugly experiences in the state, hence the present measures.”

 The police boss also said that  tricycles,wheel barrows ,and similar moveable objects used or hawking would not be allowed  to operate during the same period.

He warned that violators would be duly punished.

 Reacting to the police action, the  State Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, (APC),Ahmed Lawal, said there was no reason for the curfew once the elections are free and fair.

Lawal asked the police to  review the matter in the interest of all parties involved in the election.

Also reacting, Mr. Sunday Wugira, Director General of the Campaign Organization of the People’s Democratic Movement  (PDM), said  that the party is yet to understand the rationale behind the imposition of the curfew while the  Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. A. T. Shehu, said the curfew was unwarranted.