Pascal Oparada
The uncertainty over the fate of the IGP Mohammed Adamu as Nigeria’s Inspector General of Police has been laid to rest after President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, extended his tenure by three months.
Adamu was due to retire on February 1, having served in the police force for 35 years but the back and forth situation by the presidency kept Nigerians on edge.
Adamu was supposed to proceed on terminal leave a month before his retirement but did not which raised doubts over his retirement.
By extending Adamu’s term, Buhari has violated the provisions of the new Police Act 2020 which he signed into law recently. The new Act prescribes a single tenure of four years for a police chief.
Before the new Act, IGPs stay in office at the discretion of the president and have no tenure security. In some cases, presidents have unlawfully extended the tenures of police chiefs.
Nigerians have, however, expressed disappointment with Buhari for the extension of Adamu’s tenure.
According to them, the president has violated the Act he signed into law.
Adam, who was IGP during the #EndSARS protest which rocked the country in October last year.
Nigerians had, during the protest, asked for the sack of the Police Chief for failing to reign in the notorious Special Anti-Robbery Squad known as SARS. The unit was disbanded.
#EndSARS frontline promoter, Bolatito Oduala known as Rinu, said by extending Adamu’s tenure, Buhari had broken ‘the law he signed with his own hands.’
“The new Police Act 2020, only allows a single term of four years without extension for the office of the IGP.
Buhari has just broken the law he signed with his own hands by extending IGP Adamu Tenure.
In Nigeria, the makers of the law are the breakers of the law,” Rinu said on Twitter.
Tosin Olugbenga said by extending his Tenure, it is not clear if Buhari will extend his term beyond 2023 as Nigeria’s president.
“BREAKING: “Buhari extends IGP Adamu’s tenure by three months.”
With my unconstitutional dispositions of the President, i hope he would not extend his tenure beyond 2023.
And idiots too would hail him then with “Baba in his wisdom is looking for a right successor”
Scam!” Olugbenga wrote on social media.
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