Why we cancelled approved venue for Atiku's rally, by Wike

• Published date: 03 February 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

Governor has directed local govt. chairmen, aides to work for Tinubu, says Atiku's camp

Atiku, an unrepentant enemy of Rivers, Nigeria, says Rivers PDP

Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has explained that the reason why his government stopped the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) presidential flag bearer in the forthcoming election, Atiku Abubakar from using the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium for his campaign is to safeguard the facility from vandalism.

The governor who spoke at the Rivers PDP campaign in Degema, Degema Local Government Area yesterday, described the claim that the Rivers government did not want PDP Presidential Campaign Council to campaign in the state as erroneous, as he recalled that the government earlier gave approval to the party to use the stadium at no cost. He said: 'Don't say we stopped them from holding their 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 the opposition has never held any rally without violence.

'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...