Why we want to demolish New PDP secretariat – FCTA

The Federal Capital Territory Development Authority gave condition under which the authority would not go ahead with the planned demolition of the house hosting the national secretariat of the New Peoples Democratic Party, being led by Abubakar Baraje: the owner of the building must  stop using it as a commercial building.

'We marked it in order for the owner to revert it to its original status. When this is done, there would be no demolition,' Public Relations Officer of Development Control, an agency under the Federal Capital Territory Development Authority, Mr. Kalu Emetu, told journalists in Abuja on Tuesday.

The FCTDA has marked the building, located at No. 4, Oyi River Crescent, Maitama District in the FCT, for demolition for violation of land use.

According to the Director of Development Control of the FCT, Alhaji Yahaya Yusuf, the location of the building is meant strictly for residential purposes and that converting it to a party secretariat has violated the Abuja master plan.

Yusuf said that it was not only the New PDP secretariat that was marked for demolotion as erroneously projected by the media, but about 202 other buildings in the capital city.

He was, however, categorical that all the affected buildings would be pulled down if their owners refused to revert to the original plan.

The Baraje-led PDP was however adamant, threatening legal action against the Federal Government if FCTA goes ahead with the demoltion.

The National Publicity Secretary of the PDP splinter group, Chief Chukwuemeka Eze, challenged the FCT on the planned demolition.

He was quoted as saying,  'Let them go ahead and demolish the building. We can assure them that we are going to rebuild the building with money from the Federal Government of Nigeria.

'We will sue them for wilful destruction and they will be made to know that the building belongs to a Nigerian citizen with constitutional rights to own property in any part of the country, including the Federal Capital Territory.

'The FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, is on an agenda to destroy President Goodluck Jonathan, because under no circumstances would a cabinet minister embark on such destructive mission.

'The minister has been mandated by some forces to find a way of destroying President Jonathan and he has happily embarked on that mission. That is why he is doing something that is not expected of a normal person.'

He said the minister did not have the powers he was arrogating to himself.