Akwa Ibom APC will force way into stadium for Buhari’s campaign – Presidential Aid

The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on National
Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Ita Enang, has vowed to lead the
All Progressives Congress (APC) to break into Godswill Akpabio
International Stadium for the flag-off of the party’s South-South
campaign in the state.

This is following the refusal of the Akwa Ibom State government
to approve the stadium for President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to
the state on Friday.

Speaking on Monday at a press conference in Uyo, Enang said the
APC would continue on the path of diplomacy to get government’s
approval to use the facility.

He however warned that if the negotiations fail, the party would
be forced to break into the stadium.

He faulted explanations by the Commissioner for Youths and
Sports, Mr. Monday Uko, that the stadium’s pitch was being
preserved for the state team, Akwa United, to play their home games
as the National Professional Football League (NPFL) kicks-off on
January 13.

The government also noted that the stadium managers, Julius
Berger, currently on vacation in Germany had locked the stadium and
would resume on January 7, 2019, but approved the use of a smaller
facility, Uyo Township stadium.

The SSA said the state government’s action was pre-meditated and
political, adding that “the governorship primary that Udom was
declared the winner in 2014, was done in that same stadium”.

He also argued that Senator Bassey Akpan, representing Akwa Ibom
North East, did his empowerment and constituency briefing in the
same stadium.

He explained that the choice of Akwa Ibom for the South-South
campaign flag-off is necessary due to widespread acceptability of
the party in the South-South states.

“We will continue to use diplomacy for the request, but if the
diplomacy fails, we will still use the stadium. When higher
immunity meets the state immunity, it would succumb. We will not
allow Udom to blackmail Akwa Ibom.

“Udom should know that it was his predecessor Godswill Akpabio
that built the stadium with funds allocated to the state by the
Federal Government led by President Buhari and denying Akwa Ibom
people the use of that facility is a collective insult on the
people of the state,” he said.

Related