PDP cancels presidential campaign rally in Rivers

Nigeria’s major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cancelled its presidential campaign rally in Rivers State initially scheduled for Tuesday.

Chairperson of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council (PDP PCC) in the state, Lee Maeba, disclosed this while briefing reporters in Port Harcourt on Monday.

Mr Maeba, a former senator from the state, said they put off the rally because of the threat to the life of its members and supporters of Atiku Abubakar in the state, Leadership newspaper reported.

Mr Atiku, Nigeria’s former vice president, is the PDP presidential candidate for 25 February election.

Mr Maeba, who did not give a new date for the rally, described the cancellation as “painful.

Attacks, arrest

Gunmen suspected to be political thugs had invaded Mr Maeba’s residence in Port Harcourt in December last year.

Punch newspaper reported that the gunmen shot sporadically at the ex-lawmaker’s entrance before breaking in and destroying five cars as residents scampered for safety.

This newspaper earlier reported how over 20 supporters of Mr Atiku who were arrested allegedly on Governor Nyesom Wike’s order, were arraigned before a Magistrate Court in the state.

Armed police officers invaded a meeting venue to arrest them.

A few days ago, Daily Trust reported how Abiye Sekibo, the director general of the Rivers PDP PCC escaped an attack after gunmen dressed in police uniform reportedly opened fire on his vehicle in Port Harcourt.

Mr Maeba blamed the attacks on Governor Wike.

Mr Wike was one of the 12 PDP aspirants that was defeated by Mr Atiku during the party’s presidential primary in May last year.

Since then the Rivers State Governor has been at loggerhead with the former vice president and the national leadership of the PDP. He (Mr Wike) withdrew his membership of the Atiku campaign council and boycotted its activities.

Mr Maeba said Mr Atiku’s supporters in the state have been suffering different life-threatening attacks since Mr Wike lost the primary to the former vice president.

“He (Wike) has openly branded members of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council and all supporters of the presidential candidate as enemies of the state and vowed to crush them. Video evidence abounds to support our assertion.

“He admitted carrying out that attack on Abiye Sekibo and Lee Maeba in his earlier statement at Eleme during a gubernatorial campaign rally on Friday, February 10, 2023.

“He boasted that the two armed robbers, Mr Sekibo and Mr Maeba, were chased away when they came to take a land belonging to the Rivers State government and they were lucky they ran away before his arrival at the scene. He tried to make an unimpressive denial which does not hold water the next day,” Mr Maeba said.

PDP lacks capacity to fill stadium – Wike

Governor Wike had earlier approved the 38, 000 seater capacity Adokiye Amiesimaka Stadium for the PDP presidential rally in the state but later cancelled the approval.

After Mr Wike’s cancellation of the rally venue, Mr Sekibo had gone to inspect an alternative venue for the rally in the Rainbow area of Port Harcourt when he came under an attack from gunmen.

Mr Sekibo’s car was reportedly riddled with bullets and the venue of the rally set ablaze, according to Daily Trust newspaper.

Days before the 14 February rally, Governor Wike made a U-turn, rescinded his earlier cancellation and ordered the PDP PCC to return to the stadium for the rally.

Reacting to the cancellation of the presidential rally on allegation of threat to life, Mr Wike dismissed it as “spurious”, saying the PDP PCC lacked the capacity to fill the stadium.

“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.”

Mr Wike stated this at Nyemoni Secondary School field in Abonnema town, venue of (the Rivers State) PDP campaign in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area on Monday.

Spokesperson to the governor, Kelvin Ebiri stated this in a statement he sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday.

Backstory

Mr Wike has repeatedly said that his grievance against Mr Atiku is that he reneged on an alleged promise to ensure the exit of the National Chairman of the party, Iyorchia Ayu, so that a southerner can lead the party for the sake of a “regional balance”.

Messrs Atiku and Ayu are both northerners.

Mr Wike now leads the G5, a group of PDP governors who are aggrieved with Mr Atiku and the PDP leadership.

Governor Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Seyi Makinde (Oyo) are the other members of the G5.

Members of the group who were appointed into the Atiku presidential campaign council, withdrew their membership and boycotted its inauguration.