From Tony John, Port Harcourt

The Rivers State Presidential Campaign Council of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the state governor, Nyesom Wike, has directed council chairmen and others to work for the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ahmed Tinubu, in the forthcoming general election.

The Director, Rivers State Campaign Management Committee, Abiye Sekibo, made the allegation in a statement he issued yesterday, saying that the committee’s claim was based on credible information at their disposal.

Sekibo’s allegation followed the withdrawal of the venue (Adokiye Amiesiamaka Stadium) for the PDP presidential candidate’s (Atiku Abubakar) campaign rally scheduled for Saturday, February 11, 2023.

The state government through the Commissioner of Sports, Christopher Green, in a statement dated January 31, 2023, alleged that the Rivers PCC was collaborating with a faction of the APC to use the stadium together with an ulterior motive, which the ruling government wouldn’t like to risk its valued problem.

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The PCC director said they were not surprised that Wike could take such a decision, describing the reasons for the allegation as appallingly and highly preposterous.

Sekibo states: “We completely deny your assertion as patently false and perverse and we believe that our high-security agencies cannot furnish you with such untrue and unfounded lies.

“However, we are rather aware by credible information reaching us that Your Excellency has directed all local government council chairmen, 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 Tinubu, even though you have not had the courage to announce same to the people of Rivers State.”

Sekibo insisted that the public utterances of Governor Wike have pointed to the fact that the governor was bent on frustrating and, if possible, preventing the emergence of the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as president of Nigeria.

He accused Wike of anti-party activities, saying that the governor’s involvement in G-5 was the height of anti-party activities, wondering why he should accuse them of hobnobbing with a faction of the people.