Kaduna NUJ invasion attempt to kill me,others; says Shehu Sani

    By Okonji Ogechukwu Franklin

 Senators Shehu Sani has said that the invasion of the Kaduna state Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists secretariat  by sponsored armed thugs during his press conference was an attempt to kill him and others.

       He also said that  he ‘will not tolerate sadism or fascism in his party’ saying that ‘those who are afraid of elections deserve no place in a democracy.’
       Journalist Lawal Mohammed stabbed by sponsored armed thugs for covering our Press conference in Kaduna –  Shehu Sani
Trouble started Sunday afternoon when members of the Akida group of the APC in the state stormed the state NUJ secretariat protesting the result of the Saturday’s delegates’ elections for the forthcoming non-elective convention of the Party .
       The armed thugs who were led by the Divisional Police Officer from Gabasawa division by one CSP Abdullahi attacked journalists and others at the Kaduna state Council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists secretariat disrupting a press conference being addressed by the Senators Shehu Sani and Othman Hunkuyi on the outcome of the recently held Congress of the All Progressive Congress.
The thugs broke video camera of the Liberty Television, injured some cameraman.
    The Kaduna state Commissioner of police , Abah Agyole who later visited the NUJ secretariat assured that investigation would be conducted into the matter.
Senator Hunkuyi who addressed the conference alleged that the result of the Congress did not reflect the will of the party members as the names of those who emerged as delegates were written by an official of the state government.
    ‘The list of the delegates were not known to us. The list was fake. So we wrote two petitions to the National secretariat and zonal office to buttress our grievances.
‘We hope the National body would look into our complaints and fixed another date.
But in a swift reaction, the All Progressive Congress (APC) Kaduna state chapter of the party dismissed the allegation saying the party’s delegates’s election was free ,credible and fair.
Addressing the press on Sunday at the party’s secretariat, the state publicity secretary, Alh Salisu Tanko Wusono said the delegate election was attended by all the party officials from ward level to state level in attendance.
Wusono remarked that five officials from the National secretariat of the APC came to supervise the state congress election,saying,’ we acted within the party’s guide lines as no party member(s) was sidelined.
     The invasion of the Kaduna NUJ secretariat by sponsored armed thugs during our press conference was an attempt to kill us in order to silence us.The attack was aided by a police DPO.
Senators Shehu Sani on his Facebook page said ‘the invasion of the Kaduna NUJ secretariat by sponsored armed thugs during our press conference was an attempt to kill us in order to silence us.The attack was aided by a police DPO.
     ‘Mallam Lawal Mohammed a Journalist stabbed by sponsored armed thugs who invaded the Kaduna NUJ secretariat to disrupt our press conference.
In Kaduna city,at the NUJ state secretariat today, we held a PRESS conference against attempt by the Governor of Kaduna state and his minions to hijack and destroy the party in the state.
     ”The Governor wanted to write names of his boys and send to Abuja as “delegates” for the Party convention.Our position is that delegates must be elected and not selected in line with the party’s guidelines for congresses.
Sponsored armed thugs invaded the venue aided by a police officer ;they damaged vehicles and attacked innocent persons.
”They injured a journalist leaving him in the pool of his blood.
Present in the press conference was Senator Suleiman Hunkuyi, Members of House of reps,Hon Sani Suleiman,Hon Isa Ashiru, Hon Haruna Saeed and other politicians from all the three zones.Our position is unambiguous, we will not tolerate sadism or fascism in our party.Those afraid of elections deserve no place in a democracy.The struggle is our familiar terrian.