The National Chairman of the ruling, All Progressive Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomoloe on Monday ordered the closure of the party’s National Secretariat in Abuja.
The lockdown is for two weeks at the first instance.
He said the move was in line with the Federal Government directive that people should stay away from large congregations and in compliance with social gatherings restriction order following the COVID-19 pandermic in the country.
Oshiomole said the stay at home order was also to enable staff and party members have opportunity to look after their immediate families as the disease is in large spread across the country.
The party however assured staff of the National secretariat that their salaries will be paid even while they are at home.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, the Chairman said, “This is just a preventive measure the party has taken by closing down the secretariat for about two weeks, so we can manage the situation at hand but if it’s persists, then we will have to extent the holidays because we need to remain alive to be able to serve the country as a whole and members of the party.
“We as APC leaders must be seen to obey the federal government’s rules, it is no longer a secret that we are facing a pandemic all over the world and Nigeria has its own share of the Coronavirus. Although, it is not as bad as other countries but clearly the numbers are increasing. As it is said, prevention is better than cure.
“We had a conversation among ourselves at the NWC and desired to come up with this decision to shutdown because I am not sure how many of you have private cars, some of you use public transport to come to work which at this moment could be dangerous and I don’t think we will want to take any risk so we have decided to close the office,” he said.