CUPP plans protest on January 15 over alleged IGP’s retirement extension

The opposition political parties in the country, under the aegis of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), have directed all members of the group to stage a protest nationwide on January 15, 2019 at the state headquarters of all the police commands if the IGP is seen around his office.

In a statement yesterday signed by the First National Spokesperson, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the CUPP said Idris’ continued stay in office after the day he will clock 65 years would constitute threat to national security.

The group, therefore, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to declare the office vacant and make a replacement as constitutionally provided in Section 215 (1) a.

The statement said: “The Coalition of United Political Parties has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint a serving police officer into the vacant office of Inspector-General of Police as required by the 1999 Constitution since IGP Ibrahim Idris is no longer a police officer going by his clocking of the statutory 35 years in active service retirement age and cannot by law occupy the office of the IGP again.

“The continuous illegal parading of himself as the Inspector-General of Police is an act of impersonation and a threat to our national security which should be stopped summarily.

“The opposition coalition wishes to remind President Buhari of the sacred provision of Section 215 (1) a of the 1999 Constitution which clearly holds that the President can only appoint a serving police officer as Inspector-General of Police.

This means that with the reaching of the mandatory retirement age of 35 years of active service on January 3, 2019 and the mandatory retirement age of 60 years of age while in service by the IGP (which comes up on January 15, 2019), the IGP is constitutionally barred from being retained or re-appointed as police IG as he is no longer a serving police officer and his continued stay in office is illegal and an act of impersonation as there is no legal or documentary contrary evidence to back up his stay as IGP.”

Meanwhile, HURIWA and other Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have asked the IGP to proceed on pre-retirement leave immediately.