SAN FRANCISCO, July 30, (THEWILL) – Two senators from Kaduna State, Shehu Sani and Suleiman Hunkuyi, on Sunday escaped an attack from a gang of miscreants at the Press Centre of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, in Kaduna.
The thugs overpowered policemen at the entrance to the venue where both senators were addressing members of the press to reject the result of the All Progressives Congress, APC’s delegate election.
The mob destroyed the car in which the senators rode to the Press Centre. The thugs wielding dangerous weapons inflicted injury to the head of a cameraman with Liberty Television, Lawal Muhammed, damaged several midgets, cameras, camera tripods and chairs, at the Press Centre.
The attackers also broke doors, windows and damaged chairs and tables at the secretariat.
Chieftains of the APC chased away by the thugs included House of Representatives’ members: Muhamaed Usman and Musa Soba, Alhaji Tijjani Ramalan, Alhaji Yaro Makama, Ambassador Sule Buba and a former legislator, Alhaji Isa Ashiru.
Sani has been having a face-off with the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, who has been at the receiving end of the lawmaker’s relentless criticisms.
Last week, the Senate Committee on Foreign Loans, chaired by Sani, deferred the approval of a loan request by the Kaduna State Government and some others, while it gave approval for some.
While El-Rufai condemned Sunday’s attack directing security agencies to immediately investigate the cause of the incident, Sani alleged that it was an assassination attempt on the two lawmakers.
In a series of posts on his Facebook page on Sunday, the Kaduna Central lawmaker alleged that the attack was sponsored by El-Rufai, while it was led by a Divisional Police Officer.
In his reaction, El-Rufai declared that nobody, no matter his status, would be allowed to stifle the freedom of expression in the state.
While sympathising with the leadership of the Kaduna Council of the NUJ as well as members, he directed that security be beefed up around the secretariat.
The governor, who spoke through his Senior Special Assistant, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, stressed that the government would not tolerate any attempt to muzzle innocent citizens for exercising their constitutional rights.
He said, “Journalists must not be hindered from carrying out their constitutional and professionals obligations. The government of Kaduna State upholds the principles of free speech and respects the freedom of expression.
“Politics should not be a desperate game and desperation should not be visited on journalists or any citizen.”
Prior to the attack, the APC chieftains said they were protesting what they termed as the ‘selection‘ of the APC delegates in total disregard of the party’s constitution.
Hunkuyi, who spoke on behalf of the APC leaders, said all the guidelines for the delegates election were breached.
He said that the group had written to the national secretariat of the APC asking it to set aside the purported delegate’s election and announce new date for the exercise.
“Stakeholders were invited on Friday and we were there until 7.30 pm in the evening but the acting chairman and other leaders of the party did not show up,” Hunkuyi said.
The party chieftains, the delegates were allegedly handpicked at the Government House.
On his part, Sani said they would not accept “any dark room list” as delegates, stressing that the APC was founded on the principle of justice, progress and unity and must be seeing to go by its principles.
“The leadership of the APC in Kaduna would not accept arrogance of power and dictatorship; this is our state and we are sending this message very clear to the political adviser and his principal that we will not compromise, we need free fair and credible election,” he said.
