Governor Wike Takes Strong Action Against Atiku Abubakar

Governor Nyesom Wike has withdrawn the approval he granted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council to use the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium for Atiku Abubakar's rally.

The Rivers state governor cancelled the approval in a letter dated Tuesday, January 31 written by the commissioner for sports, Christopher Green, The Nation reported.

According to reports, it was gathered that the letter was addressed to Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto state, who is the director-general of the PDP Presidential Council. PDP campaign allegedly planning to share venue with Rivers APC.

The letter accused the Rivers Presidential Campaign Organisation of planning to share the use of the facility with a “faction of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Tonye Cole”.

The letter 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 cahoot with a faction of the APC 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 APC.

“Government records show that the activities of the APC in Rivers have always been married by violence due largely to irreconcilable internal conflicts within the party including shootings and killings in the course of protest arising from the nomination process of delegates for primaries and detonation of explosives in the course of campaigns”.

The state government said it withdrew the approval because it would not risk damage to a state prized asset like the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium that could arise from the alleged planned collaboration with Toney Cole-led APC.