SENATOR and former governor of Sokoto State, Mr. Sanni Yerima was escorted off the premises of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria branch in Kaduna on Saturday, following an interview session where he was the guest of the government radio station, popularly known as ‘Radio Nigeria’.
Although many news outlets initially reported the event as an arrest of the Senator Yerima, it was later revealed by the police commissioner Olufemi Adenaike that the senator was only invited in for questioning.
Mr. Adenaike had led policemen in six pick-up vehicles to surround the radio station with instruction to hold Senator Yerima for questioning. The Senator was at the station to participate in a Hausa program, Hannu Da Yawa, at the end of which he was asked to come with the policemen.
Yerima thereafter drove in his car, surrounded by the police vans, to the police command headquaters, where he remained under interrogation for the next two hours.
Upon his emergence, Police Commissioner Adenaike said Senator Yerima was never under arrest, but was simply invited to the police headquarters for questioning.
“The senator was not under arrest, all we did was to find out what he said that they were going to go on a peaceful demonstration. I am satisfied with what he said and he is free to go,’’ he said.
Adenaike also expressed disappointment that some members of the press (not sharpedgenews.com) had gone to town with the report that the senator was arrested, blaming them for “blowing things out of proportion.”
“I am highly disappointed in you journalists,” the police commissioner said, adding that in the sense that nothing is happening and you are blowing it out of proportion.’’
Speaking with members of the press later, Senator Yerima said that he was at the radio station to speak about the newly constituted party, All Progressives Party, and the expectation of its members in the short and the long run.
Reports of the radio interview corroborated Yerima’s position, as the interview focused on the newly formed party, and its prospects for the future.
When asked if his part would be approved for registration as a political party by the Independent National Election Commission, Mr. Yerima said that he was confident his party would be registered.
To the question on what he and his colleagues in the All progressive party would do if their party’s registration was denied by the Electoral Commission, Mr. Yerima said that he and his colleagues will organize a peaceful protest to have their demands met.
“We have no doubt that the party will be registered, we are going to fulfil all the constitutional and legal provisions for it to be registered, and we have no fear whatsoever that INEC would abide by the statutory conditions for the APC to be registered,’’ Yerima said.
Mr. Yerima described the emergence of the APC as a good omen for the political development of the country, adding that “it is important to have two strong parties in the polity so as to give Nigerians alternative choice during election.’’
“Nigeria and its interest is paramount in this effort, and we are doing everything possible to ensure that our efforts are not scuttled either by Electoral Commission or from within.’’