It’s height of political intolerance —PDP
By Soni Daniel & Dapo Akinrefon
KANO— Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will not be able to use any of the two stadiums in Kano for its February 10 presidential rally due to the closure of the facilities on the order of the state government for “urgent renovation,” an official said last night.
But the order for the immediate renovation of the two stadiums by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, yesterday, is said to be raising rippled within the PDP circles, which views the development as a deliberate plot to deny its teeming supporters to come out and register their support for the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.
Vanguard learned that the state government directed the Commissioner for Sports, Alhaji Ibrahim Galadima, to immediately close the facility for renovation, barely a week after President Muhammadu Buhari had used the same facility for the APC presidential campaign rally.
But, according to the state official, the proposed renovation work was billed to have commenced on February 4 and to end on February 18, two days after the presidential poll.
The proposed general renovation in the two stadia—Sani Abacha Stadium situated at Kofar Mata, and Kano Pillars Stadium at Sabon Gari— includes the installation of new score board, running tracks and provision of steady water supply.
The spokesman for the Kano Sports Commission, Abbati Sabo, confirmed the closure of the stadia and denied claims that the action was aimed at scuttling PDP presidential campaign rally.
It’s height of political intolerance —PDP
Reacting, National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbodiyan, described the move as the height of political intolerance.
Ologbodiyan said: “It is the height of political intolerance and the PDP believes that Governor Ganduje is driven by the imminent loss awaiting him, President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC in all the elections.
“That is why, in a panicky measure, he went and shutdown the stadia in Kano believing that in shutting down the stadia, he has shutdown the consciousness of the people, who have been thrown into hunger, killings, bloodletting, divisions and what have you.”
But we want to assure Governor Ganduje that whether he opens the stadia or not, the people of Kano State have resolved to vote him out and also vote out President Muhammadu Buhari in the next elections.”
Source: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/02/why-kano-is-shutting-stadia-ahead-of-pdp-campaign-rally-official/
