Politics
Why Edo govt didn’t approve Ogbemudia stadium for Labour Party rally — Obaseki
The Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, on Friday, explained why the state government refused to approve the use of Samuel Ogbemudia stadium for the Labour Party presidential rally.
The Labour Party held its presidential rally in Benin, Edo State capital, on Friday.
Obaseki, who featured in a Channels Television Programme, Politics Today, accused the party of submitting its request very late.
He added that the tracks in the stadium are under warranty.
The governor also dismissed the Labour Party’s chances in the 2023 election.
Obaseki said: “I heard that they applied on Wednesday night to hold a rally at Samuel Ogbemudia stadium on Friday, giving us one-day notice. The tracks in that stadium are still under warranty. The pitch has to be maintained in a certain mode. So it’s not just a facility you can just walk into and use without adequate preparation.
READ ALSO: Edo Gov, Obaseki, sacks Roads and Bridges Commissioner over poor performance
“When they knew that they had a campaign on Friday, why couldn’t they give us the notice earlier so that we could give them the conditions under which they could use the pitch? The only reason we allowed PDP to use the venue for its rally was that it provided us with an opportunity to commission it. Otherwise, most rallies are held in other bigger places in the city.
“I expected much from the Labour Party and thought they’re more serious. You can’t give us 24 hours to approve a venue for you.
“Labour Party show us they are virtually not on ground. We (PDP) are the ones on ground. We’ll see in February 23rd. But the issue at stake is I expected them to be more serious. I spoke with Peter Obi when he told me he was coming to Edo. And we offered him all the security needed and some logistics.
“I didn’t know they were coming for a rally. The people in charge of the stadium had to deal with the issue professionally.”
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