By Aremu Lukman Umor
Mr Bolaji Salami is the Ondo State Commissioner of Police who was seen in a viral video preventing the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, Hon Agboola Ajayi, from moving his personal belongings out of the government house. The deputy governor didn’t stop asking the CP if he was a police officer or a member of a political party in the video. As if that was not enough, CP Bolaji also withdrew his police escort to further afflict him days after.
You won’t discern why CP Bolaji Salami prevented Hon Agboola Ajayi from moving his personal belongings out of the government house and withdrew his police escort if you’ve not been following the long time face-off between the State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and Hon Agboola Ajayi which would later serve as the reason why the deputy governor left the All Progressives Congress, APC, which under the platform the duo were elected, to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Instead of Mr Bolaji Salami as the Ondo State Commissioner of Police to conciliate using the worldwide police integrity of justice, fairness and honesty, he took side which seemingly presented him to be partisan and backing Governor Akeredolu. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have affronted Hon Agboola when he wanted to move his personal belongings out of the government house nor would he have withdrawn his police escorts. CP Bolaji Salami must not feign ignorance of the danger associated to withdrawing police security details of a deputy governor in a country like Nigeria that is facing insecurity challenges. He went ahead to put his life as well as that of his family and staff in danger.
However, judging by CP Ajayi’s nudiustertian partisan politics mien, it is uncertain that he would be fair and honest to the opposition parties in the forthcoming Ondo State’s gubernatorial election, slated for 10th of October 2020. Of course, using police officers and other law enforcers to rig elections and scare electorates is not a recent phenomenon in Nigeria’s politics. It has been one of the tools Nigerian political actors use to grapple leadership stools for a very long time.
Thanks to the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, for his timely intervention of ordering CP Ajayi Salami, to restore the security details he withdrew from the deputy governor. However, this is a call to IGP Mohammed Adamu, to as a matter of urgency swap or supplant CP Ajayi Salami with another state’s commissioner of police so as to prevent the uncertainty which might rear its head from the CP end in the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Ondo State. As I aforesaid, his late penchant for partisan politics could corrupt the forthcoming election and further imbue the Nigerian Police.
May God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Aremu writes from Lagos, Nigeria. Email: [email protected] or Phone Number: 07032291480
