PDP crisis: FCTA seals Adamawa Governor’s Lodge

The Federal Capital Territory Administration has sealed the Adamawa State Governor’s Lodge in the FCT, Abuja.
The Lodge was sealed on Saturday.
The sealing of the Lodge is a fallout of the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party.
The FCTA said that the Lodge was being used for political activities as the New PDP has moved its secretariat there following the sealing up, by the police, of its original secretariat.
A statement from the office of the Minister of the FCT, Senator Bala Mohammed, said the usage of the Lodge for political activities was an abuse of the master plan of the city.
The statement, signed by Muhammad Hazat Sule, the Assistant Director/Chief Press Secretary to Mohammed, said all Governors’ Lodge in the FCT are meant for residential purposes.
The Adamawa State Governor, Alhaji Murtala Nyako, is a member of the nPDP.
The secretariat of the nPDP was moved to the Lodge after the police sealed the original secretariat following a court pronouncement that many have argued was subject to different interpretations, depending on which side of the political divide the analyst is.
While members of the nPDP, led by Alhaji Abubakar Kawu Baraje, are of the opinion that the court did not pronounce the faction illegal but said status quo ante should be maintained, the faction led by Alhaji Bamanga Tukur interpreted the judgment to mean the death knell for the breakaway faction, which has in its fold seven governors, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State.
It was based on the court judgment that the police sealed the secretariat.
The sealing of the Adamawa State Governor’s Lodge is also coming on the heels of the agreement between the warring factions in the PDP crisis not to make statements or take actions that could derail the peace talks.
President Goodluck Jonathan has been leading the talks personally.
The statement by Sule on Saturday, however, said the FCTA would not tolerate the desecration of the Abuja master plan no matter who is involved.
The statement reads in full: “The FCT Administration has sealed-off the Adamawa State Governor’s Lodge in the Maitama District of the Federal Capital City for abuse of the Abuja Master Plan.
“All the Governor’s Lodges in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja are enshrined in the Abuja Master Plan to be for residential purposes but not for Political Party Secretariat as Adamawa State Governor’s Lodge is currently being used.
“The Governor’s Lodge as it is today, is being used as a Political Party Office thereby negating the spirit of urban planning and causing nuisance and disturbance on the residents dwelling in that area of the city as well as inflicting undue pressure on the infrastructure and services therein, contrary to the principles of the Abuja Master Plan.
“The FCT Administration will not rest on its oars until the entire 250 square kilometers of the Federal Capital City is rid of all illegal structures and/or illegal change of Land Use.
“It may be noted that any change of Land Use is usually accompanied with over stretching of facilities planned for certain number of people; apart from also causing high volume of traffic with its attendant problems.
“The Administration wishes to assure that all actions by a person or group of persons that inflict pains on the residents whether directly or indirectly would not be condoned as government is meant to serve and protect the rights of all.
“The FCTA will continue to protect the Abuja environment and the sanctity of the Abuja Master Plan in line with the dreams of its founding fathers; believing that such plans were meant to be obeyed and adhered to.”