FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has issued a stern warning to the Rivers State Government over what he described as the denial of access to the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt, for a political rally by the Renewed Hope Ambassadors.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, made the remarks on Friday while speaking at the inauguration of coordinators of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors across the 23 local government areas of the state. The event was held at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic in Port Harcourt.
According to the minister, the group had formally applied to use the Yakubu Gowon Stadium but was allegedly turned down by the state government. He warned that such a decision would not be tolerated going forward.
“We applied to the Rivers State Government for the Yakubu Gowon Stadium. They refused us. But let me say, next time we will do this, if you don’t approve it, we will break it by force,” Wike declared.
He further instructed the leadership of the group to submit another application, stressing that the planned activities would go on regardless of resistance. “So the coordinator of the state [Renewed Hope Ambassadors], write again to the state government. Choose a day, and we will inaugurate the ward level. I want to say to everybody to hear: enough is enough. We are all from Rivers State,” he said.
Wike insisted that no individual or authority had the right to deny citizens access to public facilities in the state. “Nobody can deny us the facilities of the state. If you don’t agree to give us, we will do the needful, and we take it by force. Heaven will never fall. Even when heaven falls, everywhere will be at peace,” he added.
The former governor also urged supporters not to be intimidated, assuring them of logistical backing as the group moves to inaugurate its structure at the ward and unit levels across the state. “We must go and make sure this is inaugurated ward by ward, unit by unit, and we will take a date to make sure we inaugurate them,” he said.
Wike revealed that party leaders had committed resources to support the exercise. “I have told the leadership of the party, the way they have done for local government, so we will do for the wards. We will provide vehicles for each of the wards,” he stated.
He added that council members had pledged additional support to ensure the success of the campaign. “So nobody should be intimidated. We are here to support you. The members of various councils have agreed to make more commitments to make sure each ward gets a bus, to make sure the campaign for the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ is being realized,” Wike told the crowd.
However, the Rivers State Government has dismissed Wike’s claims, describing the allegation as false and misleading. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Communications, Honour Sirawoo, spoke to journalists on Friday evening after inspecting the stadium.
Sirawoo explained that the Yakubu Gowon Stadium is currently undergoing reconstruction and is unsafe for public use. According to him, “with the level of ongoing reconstruction at the facility, no group can use it as of now,” insisting that the denial had nothing to do with politics.
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