Why Wike, loyalists weren't allowed into stadium for pro-Tinubu rally

The Rivers State Government has clarified that the government did not deny the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and his supporters access into the Yakubu Gowon Stadium for their political rally.

The rally was tagged Renewed Hope Ambassadors for President Bola Tinubu, who is seeking reelection in the 2027 general election.

The Coordinating Commissioner for Sports in the state, Chris Green, made the clarification during an inspection tour of the facility on Friday.

Details of the inspection tour were contained in a statement on Friday by Christian Davies, the director of publications in the state’s Ministry of Information and Communications.

Mr Wike, during a rally on Friday, threatened to use force to gain access to the stadium for their next event if the Rivers government continues to deny them entry.

‘No formal application’

But Mr Green, a lawyer, said the state government neither received any formal application for the stadium nor rejected it.

“If anyone claims that an application was received and rejected, let them provide proof. I have not seen any such letter,” he said.

The commissioner said, apart from the fact Mr Wike did not apply to use the stadium, the facility is currently undergoing extensive reconstruction and is unfit for public gatherings.

He explained that the decision not to permit public gatherings at the stadium had nothing to do with politics but was based on safety concerns.

“The Yakubu Gowon Stadium is a work zone. There is ongoing construction, heavy-duty equipment, and sensitive installations everywhere,” he said.

Mr Green explained that the reconstruction, being handled by Monimichelie Sports Construction Company, is aimed at upgrading the facility to meet FIFA and World Athletics standards.

He said that more than 40,000 pipes are buried beneath the main pitch alone, making the surface extremely fragile and unsafe for activities.

The commissioner explained that it would be unreasonable for anyone to seek to use the stadium under such conditions, adding that the state government has continued to make alternative venues available for political and public events.

“We are not the kind of people that will stop anyone from using government facilities. If we had stopped them, how come they used the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, which is also a government facility?” he said.

‘Fubara not against Tinubu’

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the state’s Ministry of Information and Communications, Honour Sirawoo, dismissed suggestions that Governor Siminalayi Fubara was seeking to destabilise President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Mr Sirawoo emphasised that the administration of Governor Fubara remains firmly supportive of President Tinubu and any “genuine effort” aimed at advancing his Renewed Hope Agenda.

“If there is any governor at the forefront of supporting Mr President, it is the governor of Rivers State.

“He has been open and consistent about his support and commitment to ensuring victory for the president in Rivers State in the 2027 general elections,” he stated.

The permanent secretary further corroborated Mr Green’s position that checks conducted by various government offices showed that no application for the use of the stadium had been received.

“This facility is under construction and clearly not fit for use. There was no letter requesting its use. However, the venue used for the programme is government property and was freely available,” he explained.

The site engineer, Michael Ebitenye, who conducted reporters around the site, explained that the facility was not safe for usage, given the volume of work being done and the associated ongoing excavation.

Background

Messrs Wike and Fubara had been in a prolonged battle over the control of political structures in the oil-rich state.

President Tinubu had brokered two peace deals between the two politicians, but the deals broke down shortly after.

The political crisis had earlier split the Rivers assembly into two factions – 27 lawmakers were loyal to Mr Wike while about three backed Mr Fubara.

The political crisis took a new twist on 8 January, when Mr Wike-backed legislature initiated an impeachment process against Mr Fubara.

This was the third attempt by the lawmakers to impeach the Rivers governor since he was elected into office in 2023.

READ ALSO: Wike dares Rivers govt over political rally venue

However, the impeachment move has since been halted after the Rivers State High Court issued an order which restrained the assembly and the chief judge from proceeding with the impeachment process.

Meanwhile, a previous political crisis in Rivers which was still triggered by the feud between Governor Fubara and Mr Wike, resulted in the declaration of emergency rule in the state by President Tinubu in March 2025.

Mr Fubara, who was suspended by Mr Tinubu for six months alongside all elected officials in the state, only returned to office in September of that year after the president declared an end to the emergency rule.

This was after President Tinubu brokered the second peace deal in June between Messrs Fubara and Wike alongside their supporters.