The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Anambra State has protested what it described as the exclusion of the party and its women structures from arrangements for the planned visit of Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, to the state on Thursday.
The party, while welcoming and congratulating the First Lady ahead of the visit, expressed concern that its state leadership and recognised structures were not formally invited or meaningfully involved in the arrangements for the women-focused empowerment programme.
In a statement issued in Awka and signed by the APC State Secretary, Sir Obi Okpala, the party said it learnt about the visit and its arrangements through an announcement by the Anambra First Lady, Dr. Nonye Soludo.
The APC argued that the visit, particularly its focus on women’s empowerment, should provide room for broad participation and consultation beyond partisan considerations.
The party also questioned the narrative that progressive political forces were working together, alleging that the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, was using the narrative to create an impression of cooperation with the APC while allegedly sidelining the party in Anambra.
The APC said it remained committed to supporting President Bola Tinubu and strengthening its structures in the state, while calling for greater inclusion of its leadership and women’s structures in national programmes held in Anambra.
The party stressed that its concerns should not be interpreted as an attempt to politicise the First Lady’s humanitarian and empowerment initiatives, but as a call for recognition and inclusion of relevant stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Police Command, in collaboration with other security and safety agencies, has commenced profiling and security assessment of routes and strategic locations ahead of the First Lady’s visit.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the exercise forms part of a comprehensive security and safety assessment aimed at identifying potential vulnerabilities and strengthening operational readiness ahead of the visit.
According to the command, the assessment covers designated venues, major access routes, critical infrastructure and other strategic locations across the state.
It also includes threat identification, intelligence coordination, access and movement control, strategic deployment, traffic management, emergency response and protection of lives and property.
The police said the exercise is being conducted through enhanced inter-agency coordination to ensure a unified security arrangement before, during and after the visit.
The First Lady’s visit is expected to feature programmes focused on the empowerment and welfare of women in the South-East.
