Wike Hints At Atiku, Amaechi Pact, Cancels Approval To Use Stadium For PDP Rally

The Governor Nyesom Wike led government in Rivers State has withdrawn the approval given to Atiku Abubakar to use the Adokiye Amiesimaka stadium for its presidential campaign rally alleging that the organisers were cooperating with the Rotimi Amaechi led tendency in the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The basis of the withdrawal was the claim that the APC faction had a reputation for violence and that the government does not want to risk the assets in the stadium being subjected to destruction.

GWG.ng reports that the Wike administration had given approval to the Atiku Campaign to use the stadium following an application made on January 11, 2023.

Governor Wike had, however, warned that the approval could be withdrawn should the organisers of the Atiku rally irritate the government by making demands to enter the stadium anytime prior to two days before the rally.

The issues on the approval of the stadium follows the discord between Atiku and the Wike led G5 governors who are opposed to the emergence of Atiku as presidential candidate and Senator Iyorchia Ayu as national chairman, both men being from the north.

The Rivers State Government in withdrawing the approval for the use of the stadium from the Atiku Campaign upon the suspicion of a collaboration between the campaign and the Amaechi led APC tendency said:

“Credible intelligence available to the Government of Rivers State and recent developments now show that your Presidential Campaign Organisation 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 Organisation to accommodate and share the approved facility for your campaign with the said faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC),” the letter reads.

“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 and detonation of explosives in the course of campaigns.

“The Rivers State Government is unable to risk damage to or destruction of the very valuable and prized 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 the 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.“

GWG.ng reports that though Amaechi was not listed in the letter but that he is known to be the leader of the tendency to which Tonye Cole belongs and the withdrawal of the stadium on the basis of collaboration between Amaechi and Atiku is bound to elicit more political commentaries on the politics of Rivers.

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