Feb 25 Election: Wike Threatens to Cancel Atike Campaign in Rivers, if…
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has threatened to cancel the approval for the use of Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt for the campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Wike said the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) in the state, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, had been accessing the venue a month before the February 11 date The governor explained that the approval, which was granted at no cost to the PCC, stated that the stadium would be accessible to the council 48 hours to the rally.
Wike, who disclosed these on Friday while speaking at the campaign flag-off rally of the Rivers State PDP Campaign Council in Oyigbo Local Government Area, said Sekibo has no right to take possession of the stadium one month before the date of the stipulated event.
Wike 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 would be cancelled.
He said, “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.
“I know you are not ready to do that rally. You are only looking for excuse. But you must do it. I know you are going to import people, no problems, go and import. We have given you the stadium.”
Governor Wike also took a swipe at the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State for blaming the crisis that greeted the campaign of its governorship candidate in Mile one Diobu, Port Harcourt on Thursday.
The governor stressed that APC became a victim to the brewing crisis between the two factions in Rumuwoji community because they did not address its demand adequately.
Governor Wike 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 LGA.
The governor asked the opposition party in the state to stop complaining if it was not ready for the forthcoming general elections, saying the PDP in the state was fully prepared.
*Culled from Daily Trust newspapers
