Presidential rally: PDP, Rivers trade words over venue

The Rivers State Government yesterday condemned threats by
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to force itself to use the
Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium in Port Harcourt to flag off its
South-South presidential rally scheduled for January 28.
The state’s Chairman, Felix Obuah, at the weekend, told
journalists that the Rotimi Amaechi administration had
refused its request to use the stadium to host President
Goodluck Jonathan for the rally.
Obuah said: “The facilities of Rivers State are owned by all of
us: all of us who pay tax. The Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium
is built with money belonging to Rivers State. The stadium is
not meant to be used only by General Muhammadu Buhari’s
campaign.
“We dare him because it is not his personal property, come
January 28, we are going to use that place. We have made
official reports to the police, Directorate of State Security
(DSS) and all the other law enforcement agencies”.
Reacting to the PDP’s insistence, the Commissioner for
Information and Communications, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, said
the statement “shows that the PDP has penchant for violence.
“The attention of the Rivers State Government has been drawn
to the statement credited to the Peoples Democratic Party
that it will force its way into the Rivers State Government-
owned Adokiye Amiesimaka Sports Complex to hold its Rivers
State Presidential Rally.”
“At a different time and under different circumstances the
Rivers State Government would have ignored the PDP ranting,
but with the violence and recent bombings of people and
property all over the state, it is pertinent that the Rivers State
Government raises this alert and sounds a note of warning to
the PDP that the Rivers State Government will not trifle with
its responsibility to guarantee the safety of lives and property
irrespective of whom is affected.
“The matter of the Adokiye Amiesimaka Sports Complex is a
simple one. The complex is still under construction. As a work
site, it is an unsafe environment for use at this time. The PDP
makes reference to the fact that the APC had held its rally at
the same venue. What they failed to mention is that the
contractor was moved out of site during the time the APC rally
held and remobilized to site right after that rally.
“With less than five months to go to the end of its tenure, the
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi administration is working on
ensuring the completion of all its projects before the hand-
over date of May 29”.
Semenitari said: “With that being the case, the River State
Government cannot move its contractors out of site at this
time. Unlike the PDP that has consistently refused the APC the
use of stadia and other facilities in Abuja and other states
where it is in control, the Rivers State Government has
magnanimously offered the PDP the use of the Liberation
Stadium Elekahia, which is also a state facility.
“The resolve of PDP to unlawfully break into the Adokiye
Amiesimaka Stadium is therefore, a clear determination to
create chaos, cause breakdown of law and order and perhaps
fulfill the threat issued by some of its members that they will
burn down the complex,” the statement added.