The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has accused the Rivers State government of deliberately denying a pro-Tinubu political group access to the Yakubu Gowon Stadium in Port Harcourt, warning that any further obstruction could lead to a forceful takeover of the facility.
Wike made the allegation on Friday during the inauguration of coordinators of the “Renewed Hope Family” across Rivers State’s three senatorial districts and local government areas. The event was held at the Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic in Port Harcourt.
The Renewed Hope Family is a political movement mobilising support for President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid.
According to Wike, organisers of the rally had formally applied to the Rivers State government for approval to use the General Yakubu Gowon Stadium but were denied access without justification.
“We applied to the state government for the use of the General Yakubu Gowon Stadium, but they refused us,” Wike said. “Let me make it clear: next time, if you don’t approve it, we will break in by force.”
He urged the state coordinator of the group to reapply for the stadium ahead of an upcoming ward-level inauguration, insisting that no government has the right to deny Rivers indigenes access to public facilities.
“Enough is enough. We are all from Rivers State; nobody can deny us the use of state facilities,” he said. “If you don’t agree to give us the venue, we will do the needful. I will take it by force. Heaven will not fall.”
Wike also criticised the political stance of the state leadership, questioning why the Rivers governor would expect political rewards while failing to openly align with President Tinubu.
“You cannot have a governor in the state while we are openly declaring support for President Tinubu and he is not aligning. How then do you expect a reward?” he added.
The remarks have drawn attention due to Wike’s own actions during the 2023 general election campaigns, when he denied the Atiku Abubakar presidential campaign team access to campaign venues in Rivers State. Atiku, the then Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, eventually conducted campaigns across the country but excluded Rivers.
Earlier this month, Wike claimed that all political parties in Rivers State had collapsed into a coalition backing Tinubu’s re-election. He has also been openly campaigning against the re-election of Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, accusing him of breaching a political agreement reached before President Tinubu lifted emergency rule in the state.
Although Fubara defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in December and is also campaigning for Tinubu, political tensions between both leaders remain unresolved.
