By: Joy Odor/Kaduna
Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi has said that he has no case against the Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai and has forgiven him after the demolition of his property.
Speaking to newsmen on Tuesday, Senator Hunkuyi said he still sees and takes Mallam El-Rufai as a brother, despite what he has done.
“I wish to say in very few words that I am not here for the fact that the demolition exercise affecting one of my properties, personally in any way, afflicted me. No. I am here to express utilization of power under our very own democracy,” he said.
“First of all, I think, you and all Nigerians may wish to know that the governor has personally led a demolition party of my own property which doubles as the state’s APC office in Kaduna state as part of my contribution to my party.
“He is my brother. For bringing down one of my houses, even if it is not my last house. I see no reason why I should lose any sleep but there are concurrent issues that go along with it” he said.
The Senator declared that if the intention of pulling down his property is to shut him down, it has given him more strong reasons to maintain his posture, belief and direction in standing strongly with the majority of the electorate of the people in Kaduna State.
“In my own opinion, let it be an incident to grow democracy in my state. Let this be a rallying point for those who have been short-changed in any way in my state as regards the leadership of El-Rufai. It is not too much a price to pay for democracy to thrive in my state.
“In case Mallam Nasir forgets and wish to push the boundary of personal feelings to express the way he feels against Hunkuyi, let me seize this opportunity to remind him that my own residence is at 18A Inuwa Wada Road. If he wishes to demolish that, he can go ahead.
“Let me also use the opportunity to remind Nasir that there is another property which I housed him, which he slept in so many times and we fed him in the course of bringing people together to elect him as governor and it is in Queen Elizabeth Road, Zaria,” he said.
Earlier, the Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress,(APC) Mr. Tom Maiyashi has said that the six months suspension of the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-rufai from the party still stands despite the demolition of Senator Hunkuyi’s house along Sambo road.
At the scene of the demolition, he described the action of the Governor as a political immaturity, saying it is an indication that the Mallam El-Rufai could not withstand the political pressure within his party.
“This is madness, embarrassing and this has shown that the governor has failed the people of Kaduna State. Despite all this madness, his suspension stands.
“I am disappointed with what I have seeing today. This is my saddest day as a politician. Since my career as a Civil Servant and as a politician I have never seeing this kind of political witch-hunting”, the chieftain lamented.
Although, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan through his Facebook page stated that the KASUPDA had removed the building for flagrant violations of land use and non-payment of ground rent since 2010.
According to the Facebook statement, “this illegal violation of use had begun to distress neighbours who were being forced to endure an influx of thugs and blockage of the road.
While, in a swift reaction, the Senator Representing Kaduna Central District, Shehu Sani, in his Facebook Wall wrote, “The Kaduna State Governor’s action is insane, despicable, cruel and desperate.
“Bulldozers can only demolish structures and not the spirit. We remain unshaken in our faith, our conviction, our position and our cause to uphold the constitutional rights and liberties of our people.
“The use of environmental laws to destroy the homes of perceived political opponents or to silence dissent is legendary in the tyrannical history of fascists and sadists. Power is ephemeral. Bulldozers, Thugs and Guns will not change in our position” Senator Sani Stressed.
