The NNPP state chairman said the police sealed off the building over claims that the office was located in a residential area.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Police in Borno have sealed off the State Secretariat of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) hours before the visit of the party’s presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
State chairman of NNPP, Mohammed Mustafa, described the development to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as “surprising”.
He said, “Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso, our presidential candidate, is expected to visit Maiduguri on Saturday, but we woke up today (Thursday) to see policemen with Amoured Personnel Carrier stationed in front of our secretariat. The policemen have prevented party members from going in.
“The party occupied this secretariat three months ago and it was expected to be formally inaugurated by our presidential candidate on Saturday. He was also expected to hold a meeting with party stakeholders in the state there.”
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The NNPP state chairman added, “We have gone to the Police Command headquarters where we were informed that there was a letter from the state urban planning and development board claiming that the office was located in a residential area and that was why they were ordered to seal it.”
Mustafa said that the offices of all leading political parties in Maiduguri, particularly APC and PDP, were situated in residential areas and wondered why that of NNPP was singled out for such action by the police.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Borno, Abdu Umar, simply said that the problem is between the NNPP and the Borno Urban Development Board.
“The Police are there to ensure there is no breakdown of law and order,” he told NAN.
Meanwhile, a letter on the issue from the Borno State Urban Planning and Development Board, titled “Contravention Notice” said that converting the structure to a party office contravened the law.
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