Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has directed the immediate unsealing of the state headquarters of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that heavily armed police officers had blocked the entrance gates of the NNPP secretariat with the Armoured Personnel Carrier, APC, causing panic and confusion among the party members.
This is coming barely two days ahead of a planned visit by the presidential candidate of the party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, on Saturday.
Announcing the order for the unsealing of the party’s Maiduguri office in a statement by his spokesperson, Isa Gusau, Mr Zulum described the Borno State Urban Development Board’s decision as wrongly timed.
According to him, whatever the justification of the board, the action would be given a political interpretation and which could heat up the polity.
The statement read: “The good people of Borno State are well aware that in the last three years, the Borno State Urban Development Board has been carrying out series of reforms which included sealing of some buildings operated by individuals, corporate bodies like Banks and even some government institutions which issues contravened laws relating to non-compliance with Maiduguri’s town planning procedures.
“The Governor became aware that the board sealed an office operated by the NNPP. Although the board claimed to have acted in the same regard in acted against other offices, by sealing the NNPP’s headquarters for wrongful conversion of residential area for office purpose, Governor Zulum regards the board’s action as that of wrong timing.
“Zulum believes that no matter the justification, the board’s decision is bound to be given political interpretation and which could heat up the polity and cause needless distractions.
“For that reason, Governor Zulum had already directed that the board should suspend its own rule on this particular instance bordering on the NNPP.
“The Governor believes that reversing the decision is in the overall public interest for peace. Governor Zulum believes that all political parties should be free to lawfully operate and citizens should be free to associate with political parties of their choices without hindrances.
“Zulum also advised authorities dealing with issues that could involve political parties to consider the need to invite stakeholders of all existing parties for consultations and to jointly agree on conducts that should align with existing state laws and without undermining the freedom and independence of all political parties to operate in Borno State”
