Wike threatens to stop Atiku’s campaign rally in Rivers alleging contract bridge

Wike accused the PDP Presidential campaign leader in Rivers State of attempting to take over the control of government property.

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has threatened that he may cancel the approval for the use of Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt as venue for the presidential campaign of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Recall that Wike and the leadership of the party including the Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, have been involved in a long-drawn disagreement over the continued stay of Iyorchia Ayu as the party’s National Chairman.

The governor alongside his colleagues in the famous G-5 Group has made it clear that he won’t be part of the Atiku campaign but was ‘magnanimous’ enough to grant the request for the former Vice President to use the venue for the Rivers leg of his campaign rally.

However, Wike has now threatened to stop the campaign from holding altogether due to an alleged infraction committed by the Director-General of the Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) in the state, Dr. Abiye Sekibo.

The Governor alleged that contrary to the terms of the approval, Sekibo has been accessing the venue a month before the time due for the event.

He 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 slated for February 11, 2023.

Wike made this known while speaking at the campaign flag-off rally of the Rivers State PDP Campaign Council in Oyigbo Local Government Area on Friday, January 20, 2023.

He said under no jurisdiction should Sekibo usurp the right to take over possession of the stadium before the stipulated time by the state government.

He, therefore, warned the PCC Chairman not to provoke the Rivers State Government by desperately trying to take over the control of the state-owned facility weeks before the campaign, or else the approval would be canceled.

“Let me also use this opportunity to warn Abiye Sekibo, we have made approval for your presidential candidate to use Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, on 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 an 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.”