Governor Akpabio refused APC use of stadium for campaign

The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, has refused the All Progressives Congress the use of Uyo Township Stadium for the hosting of President-elect, Maj. Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).

Buhari was scheduled to visit Akwa Ibom on Thursday, but as the state government denied the APC use of the Uyo Township Stadium, the visit had to be postponed till after the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.

The letter denying the APC the use of the stadium emanated from the Akwa Ibom State Ministry of Youth and Sports, dated April 7, with ref. No. MYS/AD/146/VOL. 11/142 and made available on Thursday.

The letter, which was signed by Mr. Nse Edem, on behalf of the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Mr. Akan Uko, stated that the request to use the stadium was denied because the Peoples Democratic Party in the state had applied to use it earlier.

“I am directed to refer to your letter of April 6, 2015 on the request for the use of Uyo Township Stadium and to inform you that the ministry had already approved the use of the stadium to the Peoples Democratic Party on April 9.

“You are by this letter please requested to look for any other alternative venue since the stadium had already been booked and would not be free for April 9.”

Reacting to the development, the Head of Media and Publicity, Umana Okon Umana Campaign Organisation, Mr. Iboro Otongaran, said the President-elect would not visit the state as scheduled due to the denial of the APC the use of the venue.

He said that efforts to get alternative venue had proved abortive as the party was so confident that the Uyo township stadium would be approved.

He called on the APC supporters not to worry, but to go out en masse on Saturday to vote for Umana as Akwa Ibom governor and all other APC candidates in the state House of Assembly.