Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has canceled 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.
This was contained in a letter dated January 31, 2023, and addressed to the Director General of Atiku campaign organisation and Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, Rivers State Commissioner of Sports, Barrister Christopher Green.
The campaign organisation had scheduled February 11, 2023, for Atiku presidential campaign in Rivers.
Governor Nyesom Wike had given approval for the use of the stadium for the campaign but with a condition that it would be accessed 48 hours to the event.
According to the letter, the venue was canceled due to intelligent reports that the PDP presidential campaign council is collaborating with the governorship candidate of APC in the state, Arch. Tonye Cole, to acccommodate and share the approved venue.
The letter titled RE: USE OF ADOKIYE AMIESIMAKA STADIUM FOR YOUR PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN RALLY reads; “Refer to our letter reference no. MOS/C/409/S.49/T/15 of 11th January 2023 approving the use of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium for your Presidential Campaign Rally scheduled to hold on the 11th day of February, 2023.
“Credible intelligence available to the Government of Rivers State and recent developments now show that your Presidential Campaign Organization is working in collaboration and in-cahoots with a faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State led by Tonye Patrick Cole and that it is the intention of your Presidential Campaign Organization to accommodate and share the approved facility for your campaign with the said faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Government records show that the activities of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State have always been marred by violence due largely to irreconcilable internal conflicts within the party including shootings and killings in the course of protests arising from the nomination process of delegates for primaries (Sahara Reporters, May 13, 2022) and detonation of explosives in the course of Campaigns (Explosion rocks APC Campaign in Rivers – Thisdaylive.com, 20 January, 2023), see also Punch Newspaper of 26” May, 2022.
“The Rivers state Government is unable to risk damage to or destruction of the very valuable and priced asset, the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium which your use of the same in collaboration with your Tonye Patrick Cole APC faction will definitely expose it to.
“In this circumstance, the Rivers State Government has come to the painful but inevitable decision to withdraw the approval earlier given to you for the use of the stadium and the said approval is hereby withdrawn.
