2023 Elections: PDP crisis worsens as Wike reveals why Atiku's rally in Rivers state was cancelled

Governor Nyesom Wike has alleged that campaigners of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, cancelled their rally in Rivers state because they lack the numbers to fill the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium he approved for the event.

The Rivers state governor said this at Nyemoni Secondary School field in Abonnema town, the venue of the PDP campaign for the Akuku-Toru local government area on Monday, February 13.

Wike described the claim by the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) that the campaign was put off because of fear of insecurity as false, The Nation reported.

He said despite granting the approval for the venue, Atiku campaigners created some scenarios and later ran away because of their lack of capacity.

The governor explained that PDP presidential campaign team in Abuja had applied to him seeking approval of a venue to use for their rally in the state, which was approved.

Atiku's campaign team applied for smaller venue, says Wike

Wike said having realised that they lacked the capacity to mobilise the crowd to fill the stadium, the campaign team 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 team 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," Governor Wike said.