Gombe APC asks Goje to apologise over Friday clash, threatens sanction

The Gombe State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje to publicly apologise to the party over the mayhem that greeted his visit to the state on Friday.

Violence broke out when thugs blocked the convoy of the former governor in an effort to deny him entry into the state.

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Goje visited the state after being away for some months to attend the wedding of his granddaughter, Fatima Abdullahi Musa. The clash resulted in loss of lives and destruction of property worth millions of naira.

About 24 hours after her father was attacked, Dr Hussaina Danjuma Goje, yesterday resigned as the state’s commissioner for environment and forest resources.

Dr Husssaina, who appeared in a short video clip released on Saturday, said her resignation was based on personal reasons and appreciated Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for giving her the opportunity to serve the state.

But addressing newsmen at the state secretariat, the publicity secretary of the APC in the state, Moses Kyari, blamed Goje for the violence.

He said the party at an emergency meeting of the state executive committee “unanimously agreed to compel Senator Goje to tender a public apology to members of the party and people of the state over the unfortunate incident of Friday.

“The party will not condone such barbaric act. We will take measures to discipline any party member, no matter how highly placed he or she is. We are also calling on the police to conduct a profound investigation and punish whoever is culpable in the act,” he said.

He assured that the party remained very strong and united under the leadership of the incumbent governor.

On his part, Goje called on his supporters to maintain peace and forgive people that launched the attack on him.

In a statement by his media aide, Lilian Nworie, the senator maintained that it was some aides of the governor, including his aide-de-camp and chief security officer that led an attack on him.

“As a man of peace, I urge all of my supporters to maintain peace in the state and not to fight with anybody. I will not use my hands to destroy what I have built over the years in Gombe State,” the statement reads.