City Boy Movement fires back at NDC over call for Lagos CP’s resignation

By Tolulope Oke

The City Boy Movement has dismissed allegations that Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Tijani Fatai, endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign by attending the inauguration of the group’s Lagos chapter.

The movement spoke after the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, demanded the immediate suspension and resignation of the police commissioner over his presence at the event.

The NDC had accused Fatai of partisanship, arguing that his attendance at a gathering organised by a pro-Tinubu movement had raised questions about his ability to remain neutral during the 2027 elections.

But the City Boy Movement, in a statement signed by its National Director of Media Monitoring and Rapid Response, Bashir Ahmad, said the commissioner’s presence should not be interpreted as political endorsement.

It maintained that police officers regularly attend or deploy personnel to political, religious, civic and community gatherings as part of their responsibility to maintain law and order.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the mere presence of the Commissioner of Police at a public event should not, without more, be interpreted as political endorsement, partisan participation or institutional alignment with the organisers of that event,” the movement said.

It argued that the constitutional responsibilities of the Nigeria Police Force include the protection of lives and property, prevention of crime and maintenance of peace during lawful public gatherings.

According to the movement, those responsibilities are owed equally to all individuals and organisations, regardless of their political affiliations.

It said it was unfair to conclude that the police had abandoned its professional neutrality solely because the commissioner attended the inauguration.

“Accordingly, it is neither fair nor accurate to infer, solely from the Commissioner’s attendance, that the Nigeria Police Force has taken a partisan position or abandoned its obligation of professional neutrality,” it said.

The movement insisted that public institutions should be judged on the basis of facts and not speculation.

It also denied seeking preferential treatment from the police or any other government agency.

“We neither seek nor expect preferential treatment from any agency of government. Like every law-abiding organisation, we expect only that our lawful activities will continue to enjoy the protection guaranteed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and other applicable laws,” it stated.

The group commended the security arrangements at the inauguration, saying they ensured the event was peaceful and incident-free.

It urged opposition parties, members of the public and political commentators to exercise restraint and stop attributing partisan motives to public officers without credible evidence.

“Responsible public commentary strengthens democratic institutions, whereas speculation and misinformation unnecessarily undermine public confidence in institutions established to serve all Nigerians,” it said.

The movement reaffirmed its commitment to peaceful political participation, respect for the rule of law and democratic engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections.