Francis Sardauna in Katsina
The Katsina State presidential and governorship campaign council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the state government refused to grant the party permission to hold its presidential rally at the Muhammadu Dikko Stadium.
The stadium, located in Katsina, the Katsina State capital, according to the campaign council, was built during the PDP administration of former governor, Ibrahim Shehu Shema.
The chairman of the campaign council, Senator Ibrahim Umar-Tsauri, who disclosed this Sunday while addressing journalists in Katsina, described the development as sad and democratically challenging.
He explained that the PDP mega rally, which is expected to hold on December 20, 2022, is for the presidential candidate of the party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the state governorship candidate, Senator Yakubu Lado Danmarke, and other candidates of the party in the state.
Umar-Tsauri said: “You all know that we built the stadium for the people of Katsina State and Nigeria but today we want to use the stadium but because we are not in government, the government in power has refused us to use it.
“This is really sad, politically unbecoming and democratically challenging; it is too bad. But the issue of this campaign that is going to take place on Tuesday, we are going to use the Polo ground.”
But the state government, in a letter signed by Ibrahim Nuradeen on behalf of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Muntari Lawal, said the stadium was under “repairs” hence the rejection of the PDP request to use it.
The letter dated December 13, 2022 read: “I am directed to refer to your letter dated 6th December, 2022 on the above subject matter and to inform you that as stated in our earlier correspondence dated 26th October, 2022, repairs are still ongoing at the Muhammadu Dikko stadium as such, all the facilities cannot be used for the event.
“Consequent to the foregoing, you are advised to either use township stadium or Katsina Polo Ground for the Presidential rally.”
