The headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was practically a battlefield in the early hours of Monday, as policemen, loaded in over five Hilux Patrol Vans took over the party secretariat.
The police team numbering over 30 had strategically positioned themselves within the secretariat along Blantyre street, without harassing passersby and the motorists using the street.
Our correspondent who monitored the situation can report that the gun-wielding, battle-ready policemen did not allow any vehicle park within the secretariat vicinity, including those from the staff, the visitors and the journalists that arrived there early.
Although the presence of the police awakened reminisce of the dark days of the former National Chairman APC National Working Committee (NWC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, however the difference is that they were not subjected to any undue harassment by the security operatives.
In fact, as at 11 am, the usually bubbling secretariat was still like a ghost town, as the presence of the security agencies was scaring many people, including the staff and visitors.
On inquiry from one of the security details attached to the party secretariat, our correspondent gathered that the security agents acted on security reports that certain persons have been mobilised to stage a demonstration at the party secretariat on Monday.
“You don’t expect the party’s national leadership to fold their hands in the face of such threatening security report. They don’t want to take chances or watch the situation degenerate to the days of Oshiomhole when activities in the party were grounded hence the decision to mobilise the security agencies to protect the secretariat against any attack,” the security personnel told our correspondent.
