For the second time this year, the Gombe State Urban Planning and Development Authority (GOSUPDA) today demolished the campaign office of the state’s Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) 2023 elections governorship candidate, Alhaji Mohammed Jibrin Barde.
The office, located at Liberty Junction, GRA, Gombe, was first demolished by the Authority in March, 2022.
In today’s demolition, some of the supporters of the candidate reportedly sustained injuries in their clash allegedly with the GOSUPDA workers, in an attempt to resist the demolition.
Musa Abubakar, who identified himself as staunch supporter of Barde, told Daylight Reporters on phone that Police first stormed the property at about 10:30am, allegedly dispersing the resistant crowd around the office with teargas.
Musa, who told Daylight Reporters that he sustained a deep injury on his back, said “sometime before 1pm” the demolishers descended on the building to carry out the demolition.
Talking to newsmen later, Mohammed Jibrin Barde alleged that the demolition of his office was partisan, blaming the Governor Inuwa Yahaya-led APC administration of the state for what he described as assault on democracy.
He alleged that the Chief of Staff to the governor and the State Commissioner of Police, acting on the approval of the governor, provider cover to GOSUPDA to carry out the demolition.
Barde, who condemned the demolition, assured, however, that he and his supporters would remain law-abiding in spite of whatever provocations allegedly from the APC government, stressing that he had appealed to his supporters to maintain law and order.
The demolition, Daylight Reporters gathered, was carried for the second time in spite of a court order restraining the state government from demolishing the office.
“Our campaign office has been demolished by Gombe state government in spite of an order of interim injunction prohibiting the state government from demolishing or attempting to demolish the building,” Barde reportedly complained after the first attempt last March.
In its swift reaction Barde’s allegations after the last March demolition, GOSUPDA argued that it only demolished an illegal structure, not any political campaign office.
GOSUPDA reportedly said it never granted approval for any political office to be built in front of the Presidential Lounge.
Contacted on phone, GOSUPDA Chairman, Group Capt Bitrus Bilal (rtd), would not immediately comment, saying that he would call later.
