Hunkuyi to El-Rufai: You have no business in executive position, as Senate condemns demolition of Kaduna APC office

The Senate, on Tuesday, condemned the demolition of a structure housing a faction of Kaduna State All Progressives Congress (APC) Secretariat.
It is reported that the building belonged to Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi representing Kaduna North Senatorial District.
The demolition was carried out under the supervision of armed security personnel and some suspected thugs.
The resolution was sequel to a Point of Oder raised by Senator Shehu Sani (APC-Kaduna) during Tuesday’s plenary.
Rising under order 43, Sani said that: “In the last two and half years, we have been faced with tyranny and open dictatorship in Kaduna State.
“My constituency office was attacked by violent thugs and it has also been clear that armed military personnel and policemen have been consistently used by the governor to intimidate and harass people who don’t agree with him.
“How can a governor, a democratically elected governor, demolish a house without notice simply for the fact that we have set up an office different from the one he had personalised as a so-called party man?
“It is of concern to us that these actions by the governor had been done in the name of Mr President whom he believes, he is his son that he so much loves,“he said.
Sani, however, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to caution the governor who has unleashed a reign of terror in the state.
In his remarks, the Deputy President of the Senate,  Ike Ekweremadu, who presided, condemned the act saying democracy had no place for tyranny and this kind of impunity.
“If we decide to go on the path of democracy, we must accept some of the things that come with it, and one is the rule of law.
“If we have any kind of grievance, that grievance should be settled in the law court and not using force or the weight of our office. I believe this is one of the reasons why Nigerians are opposed to issue of immunity especially for chief executives.
“This is something we need to watch. As we head toward 2019, we must appeal to politicians not to overheat the system and then imperil our democracy.
“There is a limit to the patience of our people,” Ekweremadu said.
“I do hope that if it is true, the governor will make effort to go and rebuild the house or pay him adequate compensation. We condemn the act,“ he said.
Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, while briefing news men in Abuja, described the act as “bizarre, rare and unimaginable decisions.
“My property which doubles as the state APC office in Kaduna is part of my contribution to the party, the structure of leadership of the party has been brought down.
“This action carried out with his supervision. I have no case, I have forgiven him as a person, I am not joining issues with him, and he is my brother.
“There are concurrent issues that go with his act. What will he be doing at the site at that time of the day?
“To me, if the intention is to shut Hunkuyi down, it has given me more reason to believe, and stand strongly with majority of the electorate. This should not have happened but it has happened, let that be an incident for growth of democracy in my constituency.
“Should I bear the consequences of bringing him to leadership? Is it too much price to pay? People like that have no business in executive position”, he said.
The Kaduna State Government on Tuesday demolished the factional secretariat led by Mr Danladi Wada in Kaduna.
The demolition was executed by the State Urban Planning and Development Agency (KASUPDA) at the early hours of the day.
The government said in a statement on Tuesday in Kaduna that the building housing the factional secretariat was illegally erected.
Mr Ibrahim Husseini, the Director-General, Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS), said in the statement that the structure, situated at 11B Sambo Close, was removed for flagrant violations of land use and non-payment of ground rent since 2010.
“This illegal violation of use had begun to distress neighbours who were being forced to endure an influx of thugs and blockage of the road,’’ Husseini said.
Husseini, however, stated that the land would be used to provide a green area and a serene place for recreation in the residential neighbourhood.
“The Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Agency (KAPSUDA) is currently undertaking operations across Kaduna metropolis in compliance with its mandate.
“In partnership with sister agencies, KASUPDA is clearing
illegal structures, tackling street hawking and restoring order across
Kaduna.
“The Kaduna Geographic Information Service (KADGIS) issued a revocation notice of Statutory Right of Occupancy No. KD. 16712, that covers 11B Sambo Close in the Ungwan Rimi area.
“The appropriate notice of revocation was delivered at 28 Inuwa Wada Road, the registered address of the company that held the title to the property.
“The notice was also delivered to the building in question, and sent by post to the registered address of the previous title holder,’’ the statement read in part.
According to Husseini, the land has now been allocated to KASUPDA for the purpose of developing and maintaining a public park that will provide a green area and a serene place for recreation in that residential neighbourhood.
“KADGIS wishes to remind all title owners to be fastidious in complying with the terms of their allocation.
“The purpose of allocation of land cannot be wilfully altered; neither can title holders lawfully neglect to pay their ground rents.
“Since 2016, the government has been taking action on various land related matters, including revoking all undeveloped land titles in the state and directed that all abandoned buildings be developed within three months of the notice.
“KADGIS as the government agency charged with ultimate responsibility on land matters in Kaduna State, calls for the utmost cooperation by the public with all our agencies,’’ the statement added.
The new secretariat, located at 11B, Sambo Road, was opened on February 15 by Wada, the state Acting Chairman of the party.
Wada, who was the elected APC Deputy Chairman in the state, claimed that the secretariat was recognised by the party’s national headquarters.
He also claimed that the party opened a new secretariat due to lack of accessibility of members at the old state office as well as lack of security.
The factional office was donated by Hunkuyi.
The Wada-led faction, which claimed legitimacy of the party, had on February 18, suspended El-Rufai from the party for a period of six months.
The Wada APC faction said in a statement that El-Rufai was suspended from the party, following his refusal to respond to the query issued by the party’s State Working Committee.
El-Rufai was earlier on February 15 queried by the Wada-led faction over allegations of anti-party activities among other related offences.
The faction had equally suspended three of the governor’s aides, including his Adviser on Political Matters, Malam Uba Sani, and the State Commissioner for Finance, Alhaji Suleiman Kwaru, for similar offences.
It would be recalled that the El-Rufai administration on April 6, 2017, ordered the same agency to demolish the Kaduna residence of Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, the party’s North-West Vice Chairman.
KASUPDA officials, who demolished the Zonal Chairman’s house, located at No. 29 Yakubu Avenue, alleged that the structure was erected in violation of the state development plan.