Borno
State Governor, Kashim Shettima has written to the Inspector General of Police,
Solomon Arase requesting for an immediate investigation into the sources of
campaign posters bearing his picture and that of Imo State Governor, Owelle
Rochas Okorocha, aspiring for the 2019 Presidency with Shettima as President.
The
Governor said while he wasn't worried about whatever political objective aimed
by those who "fraudulently" produced and pasted the posters in many
parts of the FCT and Kaduna on Sunday, that his major concern was his believe
that sponsors of the posters had a "wicked agenda" of undermining the
current cohesion between the Borno State Government and Buhari led
administration "working together in the last one year for the collective
goal of ending the Boko Haram insurgency".
Shettima's
letter clearly alluded to an openly bad relationship between his Government
during his first term and the Goodluck Jonathan administration from 2011 to
2015, a situation the Governor’s office, in 2014, attributed to an executed
plot by political group which allegedly worked against collaboration between
the Shettima Government and the Jonathan administration in fighting the Boko
Haram insurgency making the insurgents to grow stronger.
The
letter to the IGP with reference number BOSLO/ABJ/14/IV/407 and signed by
Permanent Secretary in charge of the Borno Government House and Security, Mr
Ahmed Sanda was dated May 29, 2016, dispatched from the Governor’s office. It
read:
"I
have been directed by His Excellency, the Executive of Borno State, Kashim
Shettima to bring to the IGP's notice, dozens of fraudulently produced posters
bearing his name and picture claiming he is aspiring for the 2019 Presidency.
The posters have been pasted on some routes in Abuja and Kaduna.
2.
Governor Kashim Shettima regards this development as a highly mischievous plot
that is aimed at destabilizing the emerging peace in Borno State through
creation of unnecessary political tension while on the other hand it might aim
at creating gap between the Borno State Government and the President Muhammadu
Buhari led administration (which just marked it's first year in office) with a
wicked agenda of undermining the current cohesion between the two arms of
Government working together in the last one year for the collective goal of
ending the Boko Haram insurgency.
3.
From a different information we have gathered, the posters are suspected to be
the handiwork of a particular group of politicians trying to set the Borno
State Government and the APC in the State against the National headquarters of
the APC and the Federal Government so as to lay a ground for a plan by the
group of politicians to join the APC in Borno State and hijack the party's
machinery.
4.
His Excellency, Governor Kashim Shettima has directed me to most respectfully
request the following:
i.
The Inspector General of Police authorizes an immediate investigation to
establish the source of the posters and the purpose for which the plot is meant
with appropriate steps taken to arrest and prosecute those behind the posters
under relevant provisions of the law.
ii.
Any person at all seen pasting the posters in whatever form and on any place in
all parts of Nigeria be it private or public should be arrested and prosecuted
by the Nigeria Police Force for impersonation and attempts to undermine public
peace and other provisions of law.
5.
Governor Kashim Shettima finds these posters embarrassing and assures the
Inspector General of Police that whoever is seen pasting any of them any where,
does so without his prior knowledge and approval.
6.
The Governor is of the strong opinion that what is needed in the country now is
for all Nigerians and tiers of Government, particularly the Borno State
Government, to support and work with the President Muhammadu Buhari
Administration in a clearly determined effort to restore peace in Borno State.
7.
Governor Shettima feels Nigeria neither needs nor deserves ridiculous and
immoral campaign and it's associated distractions for 2019 elections when the
sitting President has just marked his first year in office managing serious
challenges inherited from the previous administration" the letter reads.
The
letter was received by the IGP's office on Tuesday and copied to the
Director-General of the Department of State Security. It is not clear if any
arrest has been made yet.
Source:
Comr Shettima Umar
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