The Peoples Democratic Party has alleged that the Katsina State Government has denied it the use of Muhammadu Dikko Stadium for its presidential rally.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the party scheduled Tuesday, December 20, 2022, for its campaign in the state.
The Director General of the Atiku-Lado Campaign Council, Mustapha Inuwa, disclosed this to newsmen on Sunday in the state.
Inuwa said that the council had written twice to the state government seeking its permission to use the stadium.
He explained that the state government, in its response to the party’s two letters, said that repairs were still ongoing at the facility and, therefore, could not be used for the event.
Inuwa said the two alternative locations provided by the state government were located within the populated areas of the state and thus would not be convenient.
“One of the locations is within the populated area of the state, while the other is very close to the Federal Medical Centre.
“If there is an emergency situation it will be difficult for an ambulance to move around,” Inuwa said.
Inuwa and the council’s chairman, Sen. Ibrahim Umar-Tsauri, expressed grave concern over the response from the state government.
Umar-Tsauri described the development as “sad and democratically challenging”, saying that the rally was for their presidential, governorship, and other PDP candidates in the state.
“You all know that we built the stadium for the people of Katsina State and Nigeria, but today we want to use the stadium but because we are not in government, the government in power has refused us to use it.
“This is really sad, politically unbecoming, and democratically challenging. It is too bad,” he said.
In a letter signed by Alhaji Ibrahim Nuradeen on behalf of the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Muntari Lawal, the state government said the stadium was under “repairs” and could not be released for use.
(NAN)
