By Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
The Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Council has denied claim by Governor Nyesom Wike’s administration that it was planning to hold a rally alongside Tonye Cole, the governorship candidate of All Progressives Congress APC at the Adokye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt.
Governor Wike had on Wednesday said the permission granted the Atiku Abubakar Campaign Council to use the Adokye Amiesimaka for its forthcoming campaign in Rivers was cancelled because there was information that the council will share the stadium with the Rivers chapter of APC.
The Governor claimed he got the information that the Atiku Campaign Council was planning to hold the campaign rally with Rivers chapter of APC from security operatives.
But in a statement signed by Dr. Abiye Sekibo, its Director General, the Atiku Presidential Campaign Council said the highly respected security agencies cannot furnish the government with such untrue and unfounded lies.
The Campaign Council said it has nothing whatsoever to do with the APC in Rivers State, adding that “it is appalling and highly preposterous for Governor Nyesom Wike or anyone to assume that the PDP and APC could jointly hold an event in the same venue.
‘We believe that the only reason for this cancellation is Your Excellency’s and notice of our massive mobilization and total acceptance of Waziri Atiku Abubakar as the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by the people of River States.
“However, we are rather aware by credible information reaching us that Your Excellency has directed all Local Government Council Chairman, Special Advisers, Commissioners, Party Executives at the state, local government, and ward levels, and all other appointees of yours to work for the APC presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tunibu even though you have not had the courage to announce same to the people of Rivers State”.
The Campaign Council said Wike’s general public “utterances, innuendos and conduct have pointed to the fact that he is bent on frustrating and if possible, preventing the emergence of the PDP Presidential candidate, His Excellency, Atiku Abubakar, GCON, Waziri Adamawa, as the next President of Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
