By Jimitota Onoyume

PORT HARCOURT—There are fears that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Rivers State may clash in Port Harcourt over the use of Adokiye Amiesemaka stadium for their campaign, if the situation was not well managed. The PDP, it was gathered, has been angered by the alleged refusal by the state government to grant its request to use the stadium for its presidential rally slated for January 28.

Meanwhile, the state government has said that work has resumed at the stadium, so the place cannot be available for use by the party.

It will be recalled that at a forum between the state Police Commissioner, Mr. Dan Bature and political parties in the state last week, the PDP had appealed to the state government to release the stadium for it use, describing the refusal as provocative.

State Chairman of the party, Mr. Felix Obuah said the denial was unfair, insisting that it was a public property.

On its part, the APC re-echoed the position of the state government on the issue. State Chairman of the party, Mr Davies Ikanya, who spoke at the meeting said the place was still under construction.

Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mrs Ibim Semenitari, said the government was firm on its resolve to complete ongoing projects in the state, including the stadium, before Governor Rotimi Amaechi bows out on May 29.

She explained that the APC had access to the stadium for its presidential rally recently because at the time, the contractors had not been mobilised to site, adding that the government was ready to release the Liberation Stadium in Port Harcourt to the PDP for its presidential rally.

She said in a statement: “The attention of the Rivers State Government has been drawn to the statement credited to PDP that it will force its way into the Rivers State Government-owned Adokiye Amiesimaka Sports Complex to hold its Rivers State presidential rally.

“It is pertinent that the Rivers State Government sounds a note of warning to the PDP that the Rivers State Government will not trifle with its responsibility to guarantee the safety of lives and property irrespective of who is affected. The matter of the Adokiye Amiesimaka sports complex is a simple one. The complex is still under construction. As a work site, it is an unsafe environment for use at this time.

“With less than five months to the end of its tenure, the Amaechi administration is working on ensuring the completion of all its projects before the handover date of May. With that being the case, the River State Government cannot move its contractors out of site at this time.

“Rivers State Government has magnanimously offered the PDP the use of the Liberation Stadium Elekahia, which is also a state facility.”