Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Kano State Governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has ordered the contractor handling renovation works at Sani Abacha Stadium, Kofar Mata, to immediately demobilise and pave way for the campaign rally of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at the stadium.
The governor, in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information, Youth and Culture, Mallam Muhammad Garba, however, said the directive does not affect ongoing overhaul of the Indoor Sports Complex.
Accordingly, the contractor has been directed to remove all machineries from the precinct of the stadium till after the campaign rally, while the state’s darling team, Kano Pillars, have been told to use the Pillars Stadium, Sabon Gari, for its training sessions.
The general renovation of the stadium aimed at giving the stadium a face-lift included the installation of the new scoreboard, the running track and provision of sources for steady water supply to all parts of the stadium.
Meanwhile, immediate past chairman of the PDP in the state, Senator Masaud El Doguwa, described the All Progressives Congress-led government’s earlier decision as ill-motivated and unfortunate, especially as “it came from a government that has made a show of its commitment to fair play and peace in the polls.”
Prior to this development, the PDP had slated February 2 for the rally, which allegedly informed government’s decision to mobilise the contractor, only for the party to fix another date for the campaign rally when the contractor had already moved to site.