Gov Wike Approves Rivers Mega Stadium for Atiku’s Campaign
Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt
Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has finally approved the use of Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, for the presidential candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to hold on February 11 this year.
Governor Wike explained that the stadium approval granted at no cost to the Presidential Campaign Council PCC of PDP in the state, would be accessible to the council 48 hours to the February 11th, 2023 presidential campaign. He disclosed this yesterday while speaking at the campaign flag-off rally by the Rivers State PDP Campaign Council in Oyigbo Local Government Area of the state.
The governor said the Director-General of the PCC in Rivers State, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, has no right to want to take possession of the stadium one month before the date of the stipulated event.
He warned Sekibo not to provoke the Rivers State Government by desperately wanting to take possession of the state-owned stadium weeks to the campaign, or else the approval will be cancelled.
Wike, however, said by the approval he signed, Sekibo and his group can only begin to access the stadium two days before the event to verify and put in place what they required for their rally.
“Let me also use this opportunity to warn Abiye Sekibo, we have made approval for your presidential candidate to use Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, February 11th, you have no right to begin to go to the stadium now.
We cannot give you access to the stadium now. We can only give you access to the stadium two days to the occasion for you to prepare.
“Nobody gave you one month. So, if you dare it again, to go and force yourself into the stadium, I will cancel the approval with immediate effect. Dare it again, I will cancel it. Heaven will not fall. In fact, if heaven falls now, we will be happy that it was in our time heaven came down.”
The governor wondered why Sekibo was acting against the approval given to him and said it appears that he is finding a reason to blame him in the event that the rally fails.
“I know you are not ready to do that rally. You are only looking for excuses. But you must do it. I know you are going to import people, no problems, go and import. We have given you the stadium.”
The governor also took a swipe at the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State for blaming the alleged crisis that greeted the campaign of its governorship candidate in Mile one Diobu, Port Harcourt on Thursday.
He stressed that APC became a victim to the brewing crisis between the two factions in Rumuwoji community because they did not address their demand adequately.
The governor wondered why APC did not encounter crisis with their rallies when they used the Tipper Park in Etche Local Government and the IYM secretariat in Ikwerre Local Government.
He asked them to stop complaining if they are not ready for the forthcoming general election because the PDP in the state is fully prepared for the election.
The governor mocked Senator Andrew Uchendu, because despite serving in several administrations, he failed to attract development projects to his Mgbuitanwo community.
According to him, it was Senator Uchendu’s administration that contracted Julius Berger to construct internal roads, fitted with street lights in Mgbuitanwo.
The governor stressed that the APC governorship candidate, Tonye Cole, in collusion with the immediate past administration of governor Chibuike Amaechi, allegedly sold the state gas turbines and diverted $50 million from the state account.
He said the APC governorship is now facing criminal charges with the state government demanding from him to refund the $50 million, which his administration needed for development projects.
“Go and bring our money back. We want to use the money to develop the people of Oyigbo, to develop the people of Rivers state.”
The governor further accused the APC governorship candidate of allegedly masterminding the killing of scores of persons in Abonnema by the military during the 2019 general election.
