Atiku campaign rally: Wike defends revoking venue approval, says ‘no way they can fill stadium’

Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, has spoken on why the state revoked its approval of the Adokiye Amiesimaka stadium for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign rally.

 

Wike spoke on Thursday at the Rivers PDP campaign rally in Degema LGA of the state.

 

The Rivers government had approved the venue for Atiku Abubakar, standard-bearer of the PDP, to use for his presidential campaign rally scheduled to hold on February 11.

 

But in a letter dated January 31 and addressed to Aminu Tambuwal, governor of Sokoto and director-general of the PDP presidential campaign council, Christopher Green, Rivers commissioner for sports, said the approval has been withdrawn.

 

The state also alleged that there was a plot by the Atiku campaign organisation in the state to share the facility with a “violent” faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

Reacting to the withdrawal of the approval for the campaign venue, Abiye Sekibo, director-general of the Atiku campaign in Rivers, accused Wike of working for Bola Tinubu, the APC presidential candidate.

 

Speaking at the rally on Thursday, Wike said the state rescinded its approval to safeguard the facility from vandalism.

 

He added that the supporters of the PDP presidential candidate in the state wouldn’t have been able to fill the stadium.

 

“Don’t say we stopped them from holding the rally; we didn’t. They applied to me and I gave (Adokiye Amiesimaka stadium) to them. They now went back and began to meet with the faction of the opposition, and you know that opposition has never held any rally without violence,” he said.

 

“And I said I cannot joke with Adokiye Amiesimaka stadium. Since we have this intelligence, we will not allow it. Did anybody force us to give them before? Are we not the ones who gave them? Did they pay money? Go and see the place.

 

“I know they are happy because they know there is no way they can fill that stadium. Instead of them to say thank God for covering our shame.”