By Elohor Igbru
The Edo state government has assured Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi and members of the Labour Party that he has no ill feelings towards them after his government denied them of the use of Samuel Ogbemudia stadium for the party’s presidential campaign rally.
Godwin Obaseki, Edo state governor said this on Friday.
The Labour Party candidate had held his campaign rally at the Baptist Convention ground in Benin City after an application to use the more conventional stadium has been denied by the government.
“The notice was too short,” the governor said in an interview. He also added that there were arrangements that must be made before the stadium is approved for use.
“I heard that they applied on Wednesday night to hold a rally at the Samuel Ogbemudia stadium on Friday morning — giving us one-day notice.
“The tracks of that stadium are still under warranty. The pitch has to be maintained in a certain mode. It is not just another facility that you can blow in and use without preparing.
“If they knew that they wanted to hold a rally on Friday, why couldn’t they give more time and notice, so that we give them the conditions under which they can use the pitch?
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“The same thing we did to the PDP when they wanted to use the pitch. The only reason we allowed the PDP rally was that it was used as an opportunity to commission the facility. Otherwise, most other rallies are held in other large grounds around the city.
“I expected more from the LP. I thought they were more serious. You can’t be planning for a rally on Friday and be giving less than 24 hours notice.”
Asked to react to insinuations that he is bothered about the growing popularity of the LP, Obaseki described the insinuations as a “joke”, saying the LP can only show its strength on social media.
“It is a joke. They can show us virtually, not on the ground. We are on the ground. We will see on February 25,” the governor said.
