Group, others condemn El-Rufai’s demolition of Inuwa’s house

A Pro-Democracy and non-governmental organisation- Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticised the Kaduna State Governor Mr. Nassir El-Rufai for demolishing the house of the National Vice Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) (North West) Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir because of political differences.

Specifically, Abdulkadir’s house located at Yakubu Avenue, Kaduna, was pulled down by officials of the Kaduna State Urban Planning and Development Agency (KASUPDA) while the case is pending in court.

Inuwa had confirmed that EL-Rufai government demolished his house. He said the demolition of his house serves as a litmus test to see who respects the rule of law and have respect for social justice.

“As far as am concerned, this matter is still in court, it is only the court that can determine what happens in the end,” Inuwa added.However, an official of KASUPDA claimed that the house was demolished because it was illegally constructed.

But the pro-democracy body said the Kaduna State’s Urban Planning Agency was economical with the truth, given the antecedents of governor El-Rufai who has in the past two years enforced draconian measures to get at perceived political opponents.

“This demolition is evil, illegal and a blatant disrespect of the principle of rule of law and all known democratic tenets and ethos. President Muhammadu Buhari must call governor El-Rufai to order before he demolishes democracy because of his unbridled selfish political ambitions “.

In a statement in reaction to the demolition of the house of Alhaji Inuwa, signed by the HURIWA National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko and Media Affairs Director, Miss Zainab Yusuf also condemned the dictatorial tendencies of the Kaduna Governor who disrespected a pending matter before a court of competent jurisdiction to use bulldozers to destroy the housing asset which was the bone of contention in the court.

“Why the hurry to destroy the ‘res’ or subject matter of a pending and subsisting suit other than to foist a predetermined conclusion to the presiding judge? This is a violation of the principle of separation of powers and is hereby absolutely condemned”

“Asides constituting a gross violation of the constitution, the action of Mr. El-Rufai is a serious breach of the oath of office which he swore before he assumed office. The oath sworn by him affirmed that “that as the Governor of Kaduna State, he will discharge his duties to the best of his ability, faithfully and in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the law, that he will not allow his personal interest to influence his official conduct or his official decisions; that he will to the to the best of his ability preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria;”

HURIWA has therefore warned the Kaduna State Governor that he would be blacklisted by the global human rights community and enlisted in the Black book of traitors who wants modern democracy destroyed in the same way late dictators like Idi Amin of Uganda and Mobutu Sese Sekou of Republic of Congo (Kinshasha) are rated.