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 to newsmen 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.
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