The Gombe State Urban Planning and Development Authority (GOSUPDA) has demolished parts of the campaign office of the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Muhammad Jibrin Barde.
The office located at Liberty Junction along the Government House Road in GRA was first demolished by GOSUPDA in March 2022.
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Daily Trust reports that during demolition yesterday, some of Barde’s supporters sustained injuries in a clash with the GOSUPDA officials to stop the demolition.
A witness said the police first stormed the property at about 10:30am and dispersed the resistant crowd that surrounded the office by firing teargas canisters at them.
He added that after about three hours of resistance, the agency officials assisted by the police descended on the campaign office and demolished some parts of the building.
It was learnt that Barde had earlier secured an injunction from a state High Court, which stopped the state government from demolition.
Addressing newsmen, the Special Adviser to the governor on Development Control and Enforcement, Group Captain Peter Bitrus Bilal (Retd), said the property was demolished because of its location.
He said it was inappropriate for a campaign office belonging to an opposition party to be constructed in front of the Presidential Lodge, “Which is the route plied by the governor to office daily.”
He said the office was registered with GOSUPDA under the name, Gombe Good Leadership Association, and was granted permission to use the premises for a temporary structure.
“But to our dismay, a permanent structure is being erected at the site, and it was also converted to a campaign office of an opposition party. This could not be condoned, hence the demolition exercise,” Bilal explained.
Earlier, Barde alleged that the demolition of his office was political, blaming the Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya-led APC administration in the state for an “assault on democracy”.
He, however, appealed to his supporters to remain law-abiding despite provocations from the state government.
