Months after dumping PDP, governor marks party’s secretariat for demolition

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are at loggerheads over the plan to demolish the opposition party’s secretariat.

The governor came into office on the PDP platform through judiciary and has since dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Now, the Matawalle’s government through the Zamfara Uban Regional and Planning Board (ZUREP) has marked PDP state secretariat in Gusau, the state capital, for demolition.

But the PDP is kicking. The opposition party has instituted a suit challenging ZUREP for marking the party’s state secretariat in Gusau for demolition.

Col. Bala Mande (rtd), the state Caretaker Chairman, stated this while addressing newsmen shortly after the party’s executive meeting at the secretariat.

Mande, a former Chief of Staff to Governor Matawalle, had remained in the PDP after the governor formally defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on June 27.

According to him, marking of the party secretariat for demolishing was mischievous and an attempt to harass and intimidate the party members and officials.

“The PDP members are law abiding citizens and we have approached a competent court to seek redress over the matter,” he said.

Mande urged supporters of the PDP to remain law abiding and refrain from taking the law into their hands.

In the suit filed before Zamfara High Court sitting in Gusau, the PDP is among others asking the court to set aside the October 29 notice of demolition given by ZUREP and declare it as illegal.

It also prayed the court to compel the defendant to pay the party the sum of N60 million as damages.