The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has warned the Rivers State Government against denying approval for the use of the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt, for a planned Renewed Hope Family rally, saying the organisers would forcefully gain access if such a move is repeated.
Wike said organisers of the rally had formally applied to use the stadium for an event scheduled for Friday but were turned down by the state government.
Speaking on Friday at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic in Port Harcourt during the inauguration of Renewed Hope Agenda coordinators across the three senatorial districts and 23 local government areas of Rivers State, the minister expressed anger over the refusal.
According to him, denying access to a public facility was unacceptable and would no longer be tolerated.
“We applied to the state government for the use of the Yakubu Gowon Stadium and they refused us,” Wike said. “Let me make this clear: if they do this again and refuse approval, we will break in by force.”
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He directed the state coordinator of the Renewed Hope Agenda to submit another application to the state government for the use of the stadium, this time for the inauguration of ward-level coordinators.
“I want everyone to hear this clearly. Enough is enough,” he added. “We are all from Rivers State. Nobody can deny us the use of state facilities. If approval is refused again, we will do what is necessary and take it by force. Heaven will not fall. Even if it falls, peace will still reign.”
The statement is the latest in the ongoing political tension between Wike and the Rivers State Government, further highlighting the deep divisions within the state’s political landscape.
