Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike has defended his administration’s decision to revoke permission previously granted to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council to hold a rally in the state.
The state government approved the use of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium for the PDP presidential debate on February 11 on January 11, 2023.
However, the Rivers State Government, through the Commissioner for Sports, Christopher Green, stated in a statement dated January 31, 2023, and sent to the Director General of the Campaign Council and Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, that the approval has been revoked.
The government accused the PDP Presidential Campaign Council of collaborating with the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers.
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Speaking at a Rivers State PDP campaign rally in the Degema Local Government Area, Wike stated that the government’s action is in the best interests of the state and that an intelligence report at its disposal indicated that the PDP Presidential Campaign Council will share the facility with the APC, whose activities, he claims, have been marked by violence and destruction.
The governor, who refuted opposition party claims that recent laws on the use of public facilities for political campaigns are intended to prevent opposition parties in the state from holding campaign rallies to solicit votes, also stated that his administration cannot dismiss the intelligence and expose the sporting facility to destruction.
Those who criticise the signing of Executive Orders 21 and 22, which require a five million naira deposit for the use of public school premises for campaigns and limit the posting of campaign materials on public infrastructure such as flyovers, he says, are attention seekers who will not win elections.
Wike stated that victory in this year’s election will be determined by genuine voters, and that the people’s vote will be counted. He therefore charged the people of Degema to mobilise voters for the elections.
