In recent reports, it is likely that some sort of tension is brewing in Rivers state due to the insistence of the Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi insisting that President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign cannot hold at the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium, Port Harcourt, next week Wednesday, while the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers also insists it must use the venue.
Amaechi said on the two occasion that APC used the stadium for rallies the contractor had to move their equipments out of site at an undisclosed cost on the government.
The governor explained that the state government had offered the PDP other alternative venues like the Liberation Stadium also in Port Harcourt, noting that, the contractor had personally complained to him that he needs to complete construction work at the stadium before May, and that he could no longer accept to stop work.
However, Nyesom Wike, the governorship candidate of PDP and the Rivers State Chapter, which had threatened to forcefully use the facility for the presidential rally, have put the police and other security agencies notice over the governor’s alleged threat to mobilise his supporters against the PDP should it insists on holding the presidential state campaign rally in Amiesimaka Stadium.
Jerry Needam, the Special Adviser on Media to the state party chairman said by refusing to grant the party the privilege to use the stadium for President Jonathan’s rally, Governor Amaechi has sufficiently proved that he and the president are obviously not in good terms, and is only using party politics as a cover to get at the President.
The party said that rather than focus on issues in course of the ongoing campaigns, Governor Amaechi has resorted to cast aspersions on the president. It also alleged that the governor had during a live radio programme aired in Port Harcourt threatened fire and brimstone should the PDP go ahead to hold any rally for President Jonathan in the state-owned Amiesimaka Stadium.
“The PDP wants Amaechi to note that there is a difference between him and the state and by extension, state-owned institutions and should stop acting as though these institutions are his personal property. Regrettably, the only reason he (Amaechi) has given for refusing the PDP to use of the new stadium is that he is the governor and has the right to say No. This is outright turning himself to the ‘state’, which is wrong and anti-democratic.
“While we do not wish to join issues with Amaechi, we also make bold to say that Amaechi’s threats are a pointer to concluded plans to cause breach of the peace and order in the state and should be invited by the law enforcement agencies for interrogation and should also be held responsible for any possible crisis before, during and after President Jonathan’s presidential rally in the state.”
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everydayAdvertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
If the Amechi and his party stopped work to use the stadium why is it a crime now for another party to use the same stadium. Gov. Amachi should allow peace to reign.
ReplyDelete