By Ishaq Dan-Imam, Lokoja
Kogi state government has denied Peter Obi permit to use Lokoja Confluence stadium, just as the Labour Party chairman, Mr Suleiman Abdul Ahmed said no frustration will stop the presidential campaign rally on Tuesday.
The presidential candidate and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba Ahmed, the National Party Chairman Julius Abure and the General Secretary, Umar Farouk Ibrahim and other officials, party bigwigs will be in the state on Tuesday for the campaign rally in Lokoja, the state capital.
Addressing a news conference in Lokoja on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s campaign visit, Ahmed said the state government has denied the party permit to use the venue.
According to him, despite the ‘deliberate’ frustrations by the state government, which increased the fees for the use of venue from N250,000 to N1.5m, the Labour Party was prepared to pay for the ‘outrageous amount’, but the state government refused to grant permit for use of the stadium at the dying minute.
Repeated calls to officials of the state government to confirm Labour Party’s claim went unanswered.
The party chairman however said that in spite of the frustrations, the presidential rally will still hold as supporters of Peter Obi from the 21 local government areas had been mobilized for the presidential campaign.
“Our right to the use of the venue has been denied and infringed on by the government in power without any official reasons, but as a popular party in the state, we are not deterred by this fragrant abuse of power. If those in power today, were given the same treatment when they were seeking election in the state during the previous administration, they wouldn’t have been in power today.
“In Ankpa federal constituency, comprising Omala, Ankpa and Olamaboro LGAs, the posters of labour party candidates have been destroyed completely by thugs. it’s a lamentable situation but deterred because our victory is assured, and we have the people firmly behind us to gain victory over our opponents.”
“Support groups and lovers of the presidential candidate are enjoined to file out in their numbers to receive their beloved presidential candidate Dr Peter Obi who has the ‘big’ political clout and growing popularity among Nigerians across the political divide to lead Nigeria from woes to glory and with the sustained goodwill of the entire country, Obi will rebuild Nigeria of our collective dream,” Ahmed said.
According to him, the party has 42 functional offices across the state and working in harmony with the state party leadership, while denying that there is internal friction of any kind in the state.
The chairman assured party members that all preparations for the epoch event have been put in place as he calls on party members and supporters across the state to turn out in their numbers to receive Dr Peter Obi and Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed campaign train as he hopes for a successful outing in Kogi state.
Ahmed urged the people of Kogi state to collect their PVCs from the INEC offices in the state so as be part of history-making election that will usher in Obi’s Presidency, which according to him will “hopefully turn around the fortunes of the country and people in a matter of months.”
