Governor Umahi denies APC the use of Abakaliki stadium saying it is not a federal facility

GOVERNOR Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State has refused to allow the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from holding a rally at the Abakaliki township stadium saying that it is not a federal facility and as such they have no right to use it.

A group of APC leaders led by science and technology minister Dr Ogbonnaya Onu had planned to use the stadium for a rally today and had asked for permission to do so. However, Governor Umahi has said that warned the Onu-led APC leadership in Ebonyi against causing a breach of peace in the state, stressing that the state stadium is a state facility and not federal government facilities.

Speaking in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, the governor however, said he had approved the stadium for mega rally by another faction of the party led by its state chairman, Dr Sylvester Nwambe, for President Muhammadu Buhari on 11th of this month. That rally, tagged South East for Buhari, has the backing of Imo State governor, Rochas Okorocha

Apparently, the Onu group, which has Pastor Eze Nwachukwu as its chairman, had insisted that it must use the stadium for a rally to receive some persons into the party and allow aspirants declare for governorship race in 2019. However, Governor Umahi said he did not approve the Onu faction’s rally.

Governor Umahi added: "The stadium is not federal government property or APC property, in fact the Pa Ngele Oruta Abakaliki Township stadium is owned by the Ebonyi State government. The federal government or APC did not put one kobo in the renovation work that is ongoing there.

“However, on 20th of July, I was already in Dubai on a working visit when a section or faction of APC in the state wrote a letter requesting for the use of the stadium to do a rally for the president. I immediately approved it and passed it back to Ebonyi State which I copied to security chiefs."

He pointed out that on his return on August 1, he got another letter saying they have cancelled it and moved it to 11th. Governor Umahi said he then said okay and immediately instituted a neighbourhood security watch recruitment programme for the event.

“Unknown to me, there is another faction of the APC that wrote for the use of the stadium but they didn’t write to me. They wrote to the commissioner for youth and sports that they want to the stadium but I was not aware of this faction, so I had to deal with what was before me.

“If they are holding two rallies, they have to find another venue because the stadium is already engaged. I have complained to security chiefs to warn the man they call Eze, the factional chairman of the APC and Chika Nwoba, they should not use their mouth to ignite crisis and violence in the state," Governor Umahi added.

Warning them, the governor said: “In their meetings and social media, Chika Nwoba has been boasting that they will overrun the stadium but if they are man enough, let them near the stadium. I am not saying enter but let them near it and then they will understand who is the owner of the stadium.

“On a more serious note, politics is not all about falsehood and using your mouth to bring crisis and violence upon the people. I have never castigated the president or any of their people, so, I will not entertain them coming to the stadium, riding on a good road, drinking

good water and then mount the stadium and begin to castigate me."

He added that he is happy the federal government is preaching against hate speeches as he is against it too. Governor Umahi warned the APC group not to bring hate speeches to Ebonyi State.