Why GOSUPDA demolished PDP Guber candidate campaign office
Special Adviser to Governor Muhammadu Yahaya on Development Control and Enforcement Group captain Peter Bilal, (retd.), has provided reasons why officials of Gombe State Urban Planning and Development Authority (GOSUPDA), pulled down the campaign office of Muhammad Barde, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Bilal made this clarification shortly after returning from demolition of alleged illegal structures including that of Barde, which was reportedly subject of litigation.
Our correspondent had reported that the GOSUPDA officials who came with armed SWAT officers witnessed stiff opposition from both Barde’s supporters and deployed Special Protection Unit guarding the property before they later succeeded in pulling the structure down.
The arrested journalists have been released following the order of the Commissioner of Police Ishola Babaita, while peace is gradually returning to the charged area.
Responding on what made the structure illegal amongst other structures close to the presidential lodge, Bilal said it was one from an unfriendly party, adding that it could be sighted by visitors to the lodge.
He said, “It a party structure, we you go before now you will see that it is PDP campaign office and the Gombe State is an APC government. Would you want a president who will be lodging in a presidential lodge to come out and see PDP structures in front of his lodge or maybe dignitaries.”
“If you know the location of that structure, it along the root to the Government House as the governor drives in or out he will pass through there. If you transverse that area you will see there is no party logo or office,” he added.
Speaking further on what makes the structure illegal, Bilal said, “First you apply to the development authority for any structure you want to construct, now they are claiming Good Leadership Association handed the place to Alh. Danbarde, for campaign office both of them have not come to apply to us and we have issued them both requisite demolition notices and they have not come forward.”
Also speaking, Barde, lamented the demolition, alluding the activities of GOSUPDA to what was obtainable during military administrations.
He said, “We applied to the Urban Development Board to provide us with approval so that we can complete the construction of our office. They granted us the approval but subsequently, they came and gave us a quit notice and we went to the court and obtained a court injunction and order of court on the 18th of May 2022, stopping them in violation of the court order, total disregard to the rule of law they came on 23rd of May and demolished the building.
“We wrote to the court, and security agencies and filed contempt proceedings against governor Inuwa, his administration and urban development board these proceedings are in court and awaiting hearing. Subsequent upon that we felt the place was no longer safe, so we decided to cordon it so that no one will be injured. After cordoning it we decorated it with our posters. Under the guise that they have obtained court order they went to the police for protection. No order has been served us, we challenge Police Commissioner Gombe.”
Barde blamed the governor including his aides and the police who provided GOSUPDA cover, adding that he had urged his supporters to be peaceful and resolute towards achieving their mandate of forming government in 2023.
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Gombe Govt Clarifies On Demolition Of Illegal Structure
“Today, with the tacit approval of the governor of Gombe State, Commissioner of Police, Chief Security Officer of Governor Inuwa Yahaya, his chief of staff Alh. Inuwa Kari, the police commissioner provided cover for thugs and Gombe urban development board to demolish our building. What we witnessed here is a reminder of dictatorial tendencies, self aggrandisement of an individual can’t suppress the voice of the majority. We are law abiding people. The only language Inuwa understands is violence and thuggery, he is a thug, worst than a bandit, he is a thief, every one knows that in the state. The solution he has is to intimidate people, we are democrats, we will topple this government come 2023, I’m assuring you we will continue to be law abiding,” Barde added.
