El-Rufai condemns mob action at NUJ premises

Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai of Kaduna State has said nobody will be allowed to stifle freedom of expression in the state.

In a message to the Kaduna State Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, the government condemned the mob action by hoodlums at the premises of the NUJ on Sunday.

Having been briefed on the situation, the governor expressed sympathy with the NUJ and the persons that were harassed by the hoodlums.

El-Rufai directed that security agencies should investigate and take necessary action against the hoodlums.

The Governor also directed security agencies to beef up security at the NUJ secretariat to protect journalists doing their duty.

A statement signed by Samuel Aruwan, the spokesman to the Governor, said “the media must not be hindered from carrying out their constitutional and professional 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.”

Aruwan added that the government of Kaduna State will not tolerate any attempt to muzzle the press and innocent citizens from exercising their constitutional rights.

Chieftains of the Governors party, the All Progressives Congress, were on Sunday molested by thugs at the NUJ Press Centre as they made to address the press over the party’s congress on Saturday.

The thugs injured journalists, vandalised properties and disrupted a press briefing by some APC chieftains in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the thugs overpowered policemen at the entrance to the NUJ secretariat where Senators Shehu Sani and Suleiman Hunkuyi kicked against the result of the party’s delegate election.

The thugs, wielding dangerous weapons, matcheted a cameraman with Liberty Television, Lawal Muhammed, damaged several cameras and injured two other reporters.

The thugs also broke doors, windows and damaged chairs and tables at the secretariat.

The chieftains of the All Progressives Congress chased away by the thugs included: House of Representatives members – Muhamamed Usman and Musa Soba, Alhaji Tijjani Ramalan, Alhaji Yaro Makama and Ambassador Sule Buba – and a former legislator, Alhaji Isa Ashiru.

Trouble started when the Gabassawa Divisional Police Officer, Sadiq Abdullahi, allegedly allowed the thugs entrance into the venue.

Meanwhile, the State Police Commissioner, Agyole Abeh, who visited the NUJ secretariat, pledged that the police will apprehend the perpetrators.

According to Abeh, the DPO had briefed him on the incident, claiming that the thugs had identified themselves as journalists before they were allowed into the premises.

The Commissioner said that investigation would commence immediately and those found wanting would be prosecuted.

Earlier, during the press conference, the APC chieftains said they were protesting what they termed as at “selection” of APC delegates in total disregard of the party’s constitution.

Senator 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 delegates election and announce new date for the exercise.

Hunkuyi said: “Stakeholders were invited on Friday we were there until 7:30 pm in the evening but the acting chairman and other leaders of the party did not show up.”

According to the party chieftains, the delegates were allegedly handpicked at the Government House.

Also speaking, Senator Sani said they would not accept “any dark room list” as delegates, stressing that APC was founded on the principle of justice, progress and unity and must be seeing to go by its principles.

Sani said: “The leadership of 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.”

In his reaction, the spokesman of the APC in Kaduna state, Salisu Wusono, claimed that the party’s delegate’s election was free, credible and fair.

According to him, the election was attended by all party officials at ward and state level.

Wusono told journalists that the election was conducted based on the party’s guidelines and was supervised by five officials from the APC National secretariat.