The Federal government has denied the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in Kaduna State entrance to the Ahmadu Bello Stadium just 24 hours before their scheduled Monday, October 17, 2022, mega-rally for the president.
Recall that Atiku Abubakar, the opposition party’s candidate for President, spent three days in Kaduna, where he was scheduled to have his major rally on Monday.
Hassan Hyat, the state party Chairman, responded by telling reporters that despite appealing for more than a week, the APC-led federal government through the Minister of Sports denied the party access to the venue, rendering all efforts to find a suitable location for the gathering ineffective.
“It has become very necessary at this point to address our teeming supporters and the entire nation on the sad and unfortunate political situation in our dear country today.
“It is instructive to note that we received the correspondence withholding approval on October 15, 2022, citing renovation work on the facility as an excuse.
“However, a physical tour of the stadium has revealed that there’s no renovation work ongoing either on the main bowl of the stadium or its adjoining structures.
“This is even as the same facility was used for the 2022 Eid-el-Maulud prayers just last Monday.”
“Surprisingly, Sunday, October 16 2022, we received another correspondence intimating us of approval by the minister, less than 24 hours to the commencement of the rally and after the Kaduna State Government had approved Ranchers’ Bees Stadium as an alternative venue for us.
“Without any doubt, there was simply no initial intention to grant us approval to use the facility by the minister and thus the late approval was done deliberately as a pretence,” the statement added.
“We are concerned by this apparent abuse of power by the APC-led Federal Government which, to say the least, constitutes a serious threat to our nation’s democracy. The minister needs to be reminded that public facilities such as the Ahmadu Bello Stadium are our commonwealth and approval for their use should be given to all shades of citizens and groups without discrimination.
“We, therefore, condemn this grave abuse of power in its entirety and demand a stop to such show of political brigandage.
“The people of Kaduna State, as things stand, are with the PDP candidate and no amount of clandestine plots to discourage people from turning out will deter them from coming out en masse to show their support for the PDP candidate at the rally today and in the elections come February 2022.
