The Rivers State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Wednesday, turned down the approval by the state governor, Nyesom Wike, to use the Adokiye Amesiamaka Stadium, Igwurita-Ali, Port Harcourt, for its presidential campaign rally.
Recall that Wike, who fell out with Atiku following the outcome of the party’s primary election last year, had denied giving the approval for the venue.
However, while speaking at the PDP governorship campaign rally at Ogu in Ogu/Bolo Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday, the governor announced the reapproval of the facility.
Reacting to the latest approval, the spokesperson of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council in Rivers State, Dr. Leloonu Nwibubasa, said the Atiku campaign was no longer interested in the facility.
The spokesperson, who spoke during a radio programme in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said the Council could not take Governor Wike by his words.
According to him, “We learnt that yesterday he (Wike) announced that the stadium has been restored and that he has rescinded his decision.
“But let me state this very clearly, the Presidential Campaign Council of Atiku is no longer interested in Governor Wike’s greek gift.
“The said stadium that he revoked for reasons that he gave based on intelligence. May I ask, has he reversed those intelligence report?”
“Is the Presidential Campaign Council not colluding with the APC to hold a joint rally in the same stadium? Are there no security reports that show that there had been violence?
“How did Governor Wike come with his reason that there will be violence for which he earlier revoked the stadium?”
He said for the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to use the Adokiye Amesiamaka Stadium, Governor Wike must first write to the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP, the same way he did while revoking the approval.
“He wrote to us formally cancelling the approval. We also expect Governor Wike to write and not just standing on a podium during campaign and making statements that depict a very high-level of instability. At this point, Rivers people should be aware that they have an unstable leader.”