Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has slammed the police over a ban on a planned meeting of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) leaders in the state.
The meeting was meant for the ADC North-West leadership to commiserate with members over a violent attack on party members last Saturday.
Speaking at a press conference at his private residence in Kaduna, El-Rufai expressed strong displeasure over the police order halting the meeting. According to him, the police commissioner claimed to have obtained a court injunction stopping the meeting, but failed to properly serve it on the affected parties.
“He knows what he’s writing violates the Constitution,” El-Rufai said. “This morning, he invited the national vice chairman, North-West, and waved a piece of paper claiming they had obtained a court order stopping us from having that meeting. We have not seen the court order. It has not been properly served on us.”
El-Rufai accused the police of overreaching their powers and violating constitutional provisions. Despite this, he noted that party leaders chose to respect the police commissioner’s position. “As responsible leaders, we had the choice of going there to have our meeting. Nobody can stop us; we are within our constitutional rights. But we decided that even though we have not seen the order, we believe the commissioner of police.”
However, El-Rufai vowed to challenge the matter in court, stating, “We want to see that injunction, we want to see the grounds, and of course, we will challenge whatever grounds to the Supreme Court.” He warned that the matter would not be swept under the carpet, hinting at possible legal battles ahead. “This is not the end of it. Other things will follow after this.”
The decision to hold the press conference at El-Rufai’s private residence was to avoid confrontation with security agencies. He mentioned that he had not lived in the house for 15 years, as it was under renovation.
The incident follows a violent attack on an opposition gathering last Saturday, where suspected thugs stormed the inauguration of a transition committee, injuring several people and destroying property. El-Rufai’s reaction highlights the growing tensions between the government and opposition parties in Kaduna State.
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