President Goodluck Jonathan and Governor Rotimi
Amaechi of Rivers State locked horns again on
Saturday over the use of the Rivers State stadium for a
Peoples Democratic Party rally.
The two fell out with each other several months ago
leading to the defection of Amaechi from the PDP to
the opposition All Progressives Congress. The Rivers
governor is also not in good terms with the First Lady,
Mrs. Patience Jonathan, over claims that the
President's wife wanted to control him and the state.
Mrs. Jonathan has repeatedly denied this allegation.
On Friday, in an apparent move to counter the refusal
by Amaechi to grant the state PDP permission to use
the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium for the PDP
presidential rally armed soldiers took over the
stadium.
Jonathan's presidential rally is billed to hold on
Wednesday, January 28.
Amaechi had cited an ongoing construction work on
the sporting facility as the reason for turning down the
request.
The governor had also maintained that since the
stadium was one of the projects his administration
was bent on completing before leaving office, it would
be unnecessary to stop work on the 40,000 capacity
sports complex located in Igwuruta-Ali, Ikwerre Local
Government Area due to a political rally.
The soldiers moved into the stadium Friday night and
were still within the facility when SUNDAY PUNCH
visited the place on Saturday.
The soldiers mounted guard at the two main entrances
to the stadium. More soldiers were seen alighting from
a Hilux van while others were stationed at different
points within the stadium complex.
One of our correspondents gathered that the
governorship candidate of the PDP in the state, Mr.
Nyesom Wike, was led to the stadium by a group of
security agents, including men of the Department of
State Security at about 12: 50pm on Saturday.
Sources said Wike, who is the former Minister of State
for Education, was at the stadium to inspect the facility
ahead of his party's presidential rally on Wednesday.
The leadership of the PDP in the state had alerted the
police and other security agencies of an alleged threat
by Amaechi to mobilise his supporters against the
party should it (PDP) insist on holding the President's
rally at the stadium.
Wike had also vowed that the facility would be
available for the President's rally.
Reacting to the occupation of the stadium by soldiers,
Amaechi told SUNDAY PUNCH that Jonathan was not
prepared for a free and fair election.
The governor, in a telephone interview with one of our
correspondents in Abuja on Saturday, said it was
unfortunate that the President was preaching one
thing but doing another.
He said, "If the President wants free and fair election,
why would he use armed soldiers to forcefully take
over a state government facility when it has not be
given to him or his party to campaign?
"Work is ongoing at the stadium and another one has
been given to them to hold the rally. Why must he
insist on using the stadium where workers are still
working?"
The governor asked Nigerians and the international
community to focus on the country and the state in
particular, warning that the PDP and Jonathan must be
held responsible for any breakdown of law and order
during or after the elections.
He appealed to the people of the state and members
of his political party, the APC, to remain calm in the
face of the "underserved provocation from the
President they laboured to put in power."
Meanwhile, suspected political thugs on Saturday
attacked the venue of an APC governorship rally in
Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State.
The hoodlums reportedly threw explosives into the
arena, which was prepared for the campaign of the
APC governorship candidate in the state, Dr. Dakuku
Peterside.
The equipment for the event was destroyed by
persons, who were said to have stormed the National
School Field in a white Hiace bus.
Okrika is the home of the wife of President Jonathan,
Patience, who was at the governorship rally of the PDP
at the same venue on Thursday, January 22, 2015.
Speaking on the attack, the APC Chairman in Okrika,
Mr. Christian Asifamaka, said the armed youths began
to shoot sporadically at the venue as early as 3:45am.
Asifamaka stated that the thugs later resorted to
throwing explosives into the arena, destroying the
podium and sound system in the process.
The armed youths, according to the Okrika APC
chairman, came from Igbiri community, an area that
shares a border with Mrs. Jonathan's Oba Ama
community.
"Those setting up the sound system and the podium
were forced to flee for dear lives. At about 4am they
started shooting explosives into the arena. The boys
came in a white Hiace bus and they are allegedly from
Igbiri, a community that shares borders with Mrs.
Jonathan's Oba Ama community," Asifamaka said in
his statement.
Confirming the incident, the state Commissioner for
Police, Mr. Dan Bature, said a group of unidentified
persons attacked the campaign ground with explosive
device suspected to be dynamite.
Explaining that no life was lost during the attack,
Bature, who spoke with reporters in Port Harcourt,
said the Police Bomb Disposal Unit had begun
investigation on the matter.
He noted that the attack in Okrika had increased
tension in the state ahead of the February 2015
general election
He said, "While the command is determined to
discharge its constitutional mandate of protection of
lives and property, all political parties are hereby
warned to adhere strictly to the Code of Conduct
guiding political parties in the state, respect of law and
order, and eschew violence in all its ramifications
before, during and after the 2015 general elections.
"The command is determined to enforce law and
order, provide adequate security for all political
parties and ensure that the full wrath of the law is
visited on any person or persons, who dare and wish
to test our capability."
The attack on the venue for the APC campaign forced
the party to call off its rally slated for Saturday.
A statement signed by Mrs. Ibim Semenitari, the
Director of Communication of Greater Together
Campaign Organisation, the campaign team of the
governorship candidate, stated that the cancellation
became necessary as a result of the early Saturday
violence against APC members and supporters.
"The APC in Rivers State has called off its governorship
campaign rally scheduled for Saturday, in Okrika.
Okrika is the birthplace of Mrs. Patience Jonathan, wife
of President Goodluck Jonathan.
"The APC governorship candidate, Dr. Dakuku
Peterside, was expected to unveil his Roadmap to
Prosperity, a revolutionary economic blue-print for
the massive development of Rivers State, to the Okrika
electorate as well as highlight the choice space the
area holds in the plan.
"Heavily armed thugs had in the wee hours of the
morning besieged the National School Field, Okrika,
venue of the APC governorship rally and opened fire,"
she said.
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