By Ishaq Dan-Imam
Kogi state Chairman of Labour party, Mr Suleiman Abdul Ahmed says no frustration is stopping the presidential campaign rally of Chief Peter Gregory Obi, from holding in Kogi state on Tuesday just as the state government denied the party permit for use of the Lokoja Confluence stadium without official reasons.
Presidential candidate of the Labour Party Peter Obi and his running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba Ahmed, the National Party Chairman Julius Abure and the General Secretary Alh. Umar Farouk Ibrahim, and other officials, party bigwigs will storm Kogi state on Tuesday, to address labour party presidential campaign rally in Lokoja, the state capital.
Addressing a news conference in Lokoja on Monday ahead of Tuesday’s campaign visit, Kogi state Labour party Chairman, Mr Suleiman Abdul Ahmed, indicated the state government has denied the party permit for use of Lokoja confluence stadium as venue for the rally.
Mr Ahmed said that despite the ‘deliberate’ frustrations by the state government, which increased the fees for the use of venue from N250,000 to N1.5m, the labour party in the state was prepared to pay for the ‘outrageous amount’, but the state government refused to grant permit for use of the stadium at the dying minute.
There has been no reaction from kogi state government to the denial of access to the proposed venue despite repeated calls to the state officials for the government reaction, but the Labour Party state chairman, said despite the frustrations, the presidential rally will still hold on Tuesday as alternative venue with wider space has been secured for Obi-Datti presidential campaign as the party membership in the state, Peter Obi supporters and loyalists from the 21 Local Government Areas, have been mobilized for the presidential campaign.
“Our right to the use of the venue has been denied and infringed on by the government in power without any official reasons, but as a popular party in the state, we are not deterred by this fragrant abuse of power. If those in power today, were given the same treatment when they were seeking election in the state during the previous administrations, they wouldn’t have been in power today.”
Mr Ahmed pointed out that it is an act of cowardice for the ruling party in the state to frustrate the opposition adding that, “In Ankpa federal constituency, comprising Omala, Ankpa and Olamaboro LGAs, the posters of labour party candidates have been destroyed completely by thugs. it’s a lamentable situation but “we are deterred because our victory is assured, and we have the people firmly behind us to gain victory over our opponents.”
“Support groups and lovers of the presidential candidate are enjoined to file out in their numbers to receive their beloved presidential candidate Dr Peter Obi who has the ‘big’ political clout and growing popularity among Nigerians across the political divide to lead Nigeria from woes to glory and with the sustained goodwill of the entire country, Obi will rebuild Nigeria of our collective dream.”
According to Ahmed, the labour party in the state has 42 functional offices across the state working in harmony with the state party leadership as he denies existence of any factional leadership in the state saying there is no internal friction of any kind in the state.
The chairman assured party members that all preparations for the epoch event have been put in place as he called on party members and supporters across the state to turn out in their numbers to receive Dr Peter Obi and Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed campaign train as he expressed the optimism for a successful outing in Kogi state.
The Labour party chairman in the state, urged Kogi citizens to come out in multitude to be part of the history-making election campaign that will usher in Obi’s Presidency, which in his words, will bring good tidings to all Nigerians irrespective of political and religious affiliations.
