The Kaduna State Government has denied allegations that it sealed the Arewa House in Kaduna to prevent a planned consultation between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Northern stakeholders.
The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, described the allegation as false, saying the state government had no involvement in the reported action.
Maiyaki said Arewa House was not owned by the state government but belonged to the Federal Government through Ahmadu Bello University, ABU.
“We do not own Arewa House. It is the property of the Federal Government, owned by Ahmadu Bello University,” he said.
He also dismissed suggestions that the government was attempting to frustrate opposition activities, insisting that political parties were free to use state-owned facilities if they followed established procedures.
The commissioner accused those making the allegations of attempting to damage Governor Uba Sani’s reputation, describing him as a long-standing advocate of democracy and civil society.
Earlier, Atiku, the African Democratic Congress,ADC, presidential candidate, accused the APC-led government of sealing the historic facility, which his campaign team had proposed as the venue for a consultation with Northern stakeholders scheduled for Thursday.
In a statement signed by his campaign’s Director of Strategic Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the development as part of what he called a pattern of attempts to obstruct his political activities.
The ADC also argued that restricting access to Arewa House for the proposed meeting amounted to an affront to the shared heritage of Northern Nigeria.