Against every insinuation, the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has approved the State owned Yakubu Gowon Stadium, in Port Harcourt, the state capital as venue for the campaign rally of APC presidential candidate, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu.
The rally is slated to hold on 15th of February, 2023.
Rivers State Coordinator of Bola Ahmed Bola Tinubu Campaign Organization and member of the presidential campaign council, APC PCC, in Rivers State, Chief Tony Okocha who spoke to Journalists in Port Harcourt on Wednesday said all arrangements have been put in place to ensure a hitch free campaign rally for the APC presidential candidate.
Okocha said that governor Wike out of his magnanimity approved the use of the Stadium without collecting the required fees of N5m from the party.
“His Excellency the Executive Governor of Rivers State in his usual magnanimity has granted approval of an alternate venue , the Yakubu Gowon Stadium , Elekahia , Port Harcourt for presidential campaign rally scheduled to hold on 15th , February, 2023 absolutely free of charge but subject to the issuance of a written quarantee of the safety and security of the facilities at the venue due to the violence recorded in recent campaign rallies by the governorship standard bearer of the party in the State,” he said.
Okocha noted that 11 sub-committees has been set up to coordinate and ensure the successful hosting of the rally in the State.
He said that many attempts were made by those he described as anti Tinubu forces in the party to scuttle the campaign rally, saying that the group was smarter enough to nip their plot in the bud.
The former Chief of staff said that the campaign committee in the State has done its home work to ensure that the presidential candidate of APC wins the election in the State.
He said that the Tinubu campaign organization in the State is not in support of the call by a section of APC members in the State for the declaration of State of emergency in the State and called on politicians to embrace peace and ensure that politics is played without violence.
“Bola Tinubu Campaign council, Rivers State does not support the call for state of emergency in Rivers State. You cannot be campaigning to be voted as a governor and at the same time call for a state of emergency. That is undemocratic.
“We are against political violence in whatever form. Whoever is attacking who should cease fire. People must be allowed to campaign in even the remotest part of the state without any threat or intimidation”, he said.