Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has explained that campaigners of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar cancelled their state’s rally because they lack the numbers to fill the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium he approved for the event.
He described the claim by the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) that the campaign was put off because of fear of bloodshed as false.
He said despite granting the approval for the venue, Atiku campaigners created some scenarios and later ran away because of their lack of capacity.
Wike spoke at Nyemoni Secondary School field in Abonnema town, venue of PDP campaign for Akuku-Toru Local Government Area on Monday.
The Governor explained that PDP PCC in Abuja had applied to him seeking approval of a venue to use for their rally in the state, which was approved.
He said having realised that they lacked the capacity to mobilise the crowd to fill the stadium, the PCC went to clear another piece of land in Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout owned by the state government, which was not granted.
He said instead of returning to prepare the stadium that was approved, the PCC started making spurious allegations of threat to life as the reason why they were putting off their rally in Rivers State.
“I gave them the stadium, they know they have no capacity to fill the stadium, they are looking for excuses. They went and forced themselves to use government land at Trans Amadi. I said no, that was not where I gave you. Where I gave you was Adokiye Amiesimaka, go and fill that place.
They now said no, we won’t go there again. We don’t want people to die. Who is killing who? Is anybody killing anybody? I said don’t pay money, I will buy the diesel for you. I will do everything for you. Mobilise, go, and fill that stadium. They ran away.”
Atiku in a statement made through Rivers PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) said the Presidential rally will no longer hold in Rivers State.
Senator Lee Maeba, who spoke on behalf of the PCC in Port Harcourt on Monday said Atiku Abubakar, the Presidential Candidate, informed the team that he does not want any blood shed in Rivers state, hence the decision to cancel the rally.