On Wednesday evening, the Rivers State Government made the announcement that the approval previously granted to the Presidential Champaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the use of the Adokiye Amasiemaka Stadium for the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential campaign on February 11, 2023, has been revoked. The date for the presidential campaign is set for February 11.
The decision to cancel comes less than forty-eight hours after the governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, issued a threat to take action against the national leadership of the party for forcing the withdrawal of Emmanuel Ukala SAN as counsel to the Rivers state PDP in cases between the PDP and Accord and other parties in the state.
Wike had a furious reaction to the activity, and he promised to take action against the action, which he defined as “against party actions.”
Therefore, it did not come as a surprise when the state government announced its decision to “withdraw the approval earlier given to you for the use of the stadium” in a letter that was signed by Barr. Christopher Green, the State Commissioner for Sports, and addressed to Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, Governor of Sokoto State and Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council. The letter was sent to Governor Tambuwal by the State Commissioner for Sports.
“Credible intelligence available to the government of Rivers State and recent developments now show that your presidential campaign organisation is working in collaboration/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 Tonye Patrick Cole faction of the All Progressives Congress APC in Rivers state,” was the government’s explanation for the decision to revoke the permit.
“Government records show that the activities of the 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 (Explosion Rocks APC Campaigns in Rivers),” “Government records show that the activities of the APC in Rivers state have always been marred by violence because
