Appointment of Naja’atu Muhammad as North-West coordinator by Police Service Commission has been rejected by APC...

The Police Service Commission in Nigeria has appointed coordinators who will supervise the conduct of police officers during the general elections. However, the appointment of Naja’atu Muhammad, a former Director of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, as the North-West coordinator has been met with rejection by the ruling party. The APC, in a statement by its Director of Public Affairs and Chief Spokesperson, Festus Keyamo, expressed shock and disappointment at the appointment. The statement called Muhammad's selection "callous and insensitive" due to her strained relationship with the APC.

The APC PCC noted that the role required an unbiased person, and as Muhammad has a well-documented history of being partisan and vocal against their candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, she cannot be trusted to discharge the duties diligently and without reproach. As such, the party demanded the immediate withdrawal of Muhammad's name as a coordinator of the Police Service Commission for the North-West or any other region.

In the statement, the APC expressed concern that there are functionaries of the government working with the opposition to thwart the avowed commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari to free, fair, and credible elections. The party warned that such a move could undermine the credibility of the elections and called for an urgent review of the appointment process to ensure that only unbiased individuals are selected for such critical roles.

The commission also appointed 44 others to deal with police officers who misbehave during the conduct of general elections across the federation. The APC's rejection of Muhammad's appointment highlights the growing tensions and concerns ahead of the general elections, which are critical to the country's democratic development. As such, all stakeholders, including political parties, electoral bodies, and the government, must ensure that the elections are free, fair, and credible, to promote peace and stability in the country.