According to the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Council, Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress is trying to win the presidency on February 25, 2023, with the assistance of Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike.
In a letter to Governor Wike dated February 1, 2023, this was stated by Dr Abiye Sekibo, Director General of the PDP PCC in the state. On Thursday morning, this letter was delivered to our reporter.
"RE: Withdrawal of use of Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium for our Presidential Campaign rally," reads the letter.
In response to the PCC's permission to use the Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium for its presidential campaign on February 11, 2023, being cancelled, Dr Sekibo, a former minister of transportation, issued this declaration.
He said that the governor had already requested support for Tinubu in the race from members of his cabinet, local government chairpersons, his aides, and party executives at all levels in the state.
The letter says, “Our attention has been drawn to your letter with reference number MOS/C/409/S49/T/17 dated January 31, 2023, and addressed to His Excellency, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the Director General of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council who has minuted the said letter to us for our reaction.
“You stated that credible intelligence available to the Government of Rivers State and recent developments now shows that our presidential campaign organisation is working in collaboration and cohort with a faction of the APC in River State led by Tonye Patrick Cole and that it is the intention of our campaign organisation to accommodate and share the approved facility for our campaign with the said faction of the APC.
“We wish to state as follows: We completely deny your assertion as patently false and perverse. We believe that our highly respected security agencies cannot furnish you with such untrue and unfounded lies.
“That the PDP Presidential Campaign Council has nothing whatsoever to do with the APC in Rivers State.
“That it is appalling and highly preposterous for you 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 notice of our massive mobilisation 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.
“Your general public utterances, innuendos and conduct have pointed to the fact that you are 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 the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“Finally, your involvement in the so-called G5 is the height of anti-party activity.
“It is therefore surprising that you are now accusing us of hobnobbing with the APC faction in River State.”
Copies of the letter were delivered to Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, the Director General of the PDP PCC, and to PDP National Chairman Senator Iyocha Ayu, PDP Presidential Candidate Atiku Abubakar, and his Vice Presidential Candidate, Ifeanyi Okowa.
Christopher Green, the Rivers State Commissioner for Sports, also got a copy of the letter.