The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that it suspended its planned presidential campaign rally in Rivers for safety reasons.
Alhaji Yusuf Dingyadi, Media Advisory Committee member of the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), made the declaration in Sokoto on Tuesday.
He told newsmen that the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, had not in any way expressed fears about comments by Rivers governor, Mr Nysom Wike.
Dingyadi, also Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications to the PDP National Chairman, Dr Ayochia Ayu, said the party considered peoples safety as paramount show.
He said Gov. Wike’s comments and order of changes of rally venue needed to be carefully considered as the chief security officer of the state.
According to him, Atiku and other party bigwigs and stakeholders may be safe in the hands of armed security men in their motorcades, but party supporters may not be that safe.
He stressed that party supporters and loyalists who might come from different parts of Rivers and from neighbouring states might be subjected to the dangers of attacks by unknown persons or groups.
“We value our supporters’ lives and their safety than a campaign show. Therefore, the PCC agreed with the recommendation of the state’s local organising committee to postpone the rally.
“The rally has been shifted till when things are done rightly or till we can continue with the grassroots mobilisation through other efforts,’’ Dingyadi said.
Dingyadi stressed that Gov. Wike’s utterances and other political considerations on insecurity, lack of assurance of safety of lives and properties made the PCC to halt the visits.
He noted that presidential campaign rallies had been held successfully in Benue, Abia, Oyo and others where the governors were considered as being at loggerheads with the PDP National Secretariat.
